Kayla J.

Leach

English 102-06

Prof. Kays

February 10, 2017

The American Dad

Source #1: The Atlantic: The Rise of the Single Dad

This article in the Atlantic is basically about the statistics of single father in America. The

article is compared to the 1979 film, Kramer vs. Kramer with Dustin Hoffman when he was

fighting for custody of his son. The article explains the judicial aspect of being a single father

and how the court can be biased to giving custody of a child to the father and not the mother.

This article has a lot of statistic in it which is good information for people to know. In this article,

I learned about the statistics about single fathers of all races. The article tells how the courts are

starting to have more faith in single fathers over time. The point of view from single fathers is

really portrayed in this article.

Most people dont know that single fathers go into these kinds of situations feeling that

the judge is going to go in the favor of the mother but recent studies have shown that more

fathers every day are starting to gain confidence in these situations. Many fathers arent in their

childrens lives because they feel as though they would not gain custody because of the known

bias in the court room. This useful information could give a single father a chance to be in their

childs life.

Source #2: All In by Josh Levs

This new modern book breaks all stereotypes. The book tells about how growing

numbers of men are becoming stay at home dads or working part-time jobs to stay at home with

their children. Men are usually looked at as the bread winners but times are changing. Lev
Kayla J. Leach

English 102-06

Prof. Kays

February 10, 2017

talks about how the workplace can still be biased to these changes which makes it a little harder

for this change to become more popular. This book is a great source because Josh Levs uses his

personal experiences being a father of three. This book gives another view of fathers of all races.

Josh Levs has a chapter in his book explaining how African-American fathers are doing the best

of all. Most Americans do not see the African-American father in a positive light and this book

gives that. This book speaks for every kind of dad, single or not, white, or black, this is just a

good informative read. You will learn more about the point of view of the American dad.

Source #3: Marquette University, Single-Father Families: A Review of

the Literature by Roberta L. Coles
This article by Roberta Coles of Marquette University, tells about how the number of

single fathers has quadrupled in America since the 1960s. The review tells how once the number

in single fathers increased but the number of family households are decreasing. The article tells

how the number of cohabitate fathers count as a single-father household which contributes to the

percentage as well. This article really doesnt give the true meaning of a single father. The article

gives information of the what the US Census Bureau defines as a single father and why the

number has increased significantly. This article seems biased towards single fathers for

cohabitating.

There are so many different interpretations of a single father so this subject couldnt

really be studied correctly through the US Census. This article is leading more towards the future

to figure out the place of a single father in America in later years. Right now, the article argues

that numbers will rise which isnt a good or bad thing. American dads have a closer eye on them
Kayla J. Leach

English 102-06

Prof. Kays

February 10, 2017

because of gender bias which is portrayed in this article as well. The review gives the

quantitative and qualitative research of the single father which can be informative since most

single fathers are not recognized.

Source #4: National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse: Dad Stats

This website is all about numbers. All the quantitative research of fathers in America can

be found on the website. This shows the number of fathers that are single, married, educated, and

more. This gives an idea of where involvement with children and childrens behavior comes

from. All these numbers play a part in the type of behaviors children encounter. These numbers

show the research of children from grades K-12 and the behavior they perform based upon

involvement with their fathers. This article tries to give the answer to childrens behavior based

upon their household and what type of father they have. There is no true answer to a childs

behavior but their father can play a part. A lot of people can do better even without a father in

their life. This is a good source because most people dont realize that parents make a huge

impression on children. Depending on the type of father you have, that can do a lot to your

character, not only a persons behavior.

Source #5: Forbes: The Changing Roles of TV Dads

This article tells about how the role of the father or father figure is beginning to change.

In early 1950s family sitcoms, the father worked a nine to five job and was the head of the family

while still being involved in their childrens lives. Then the article talks about how in later years

like the 1970s sitcoms, The Brady Bunch where there was the first step-dad role being
Kayla J. Leach

English 102-06

Prof. Kays

February 10, 2017

portrayed. This was one of the first times that television was introduced to a blended family.

Then there were other shows that showed that the father didnt have to carry all the load and the

mother worked a full-time job as well. This article shows how the father of the household in

America is seen and perceived on television and how it is starting to change for the better. I like

how this article tells all the way back to shows form the 1950s all the way to now. This article

can be a sensitive subject because there are still a lot of Americans who see the father as the

bread winner or the head of the household. People know that once it is on television that it

speaks volumes and is somewhat of a reality.