Parenting as A “package deal”: Relationships,fertility, and nonresident father involvement among unmarried parents |
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Authors: | Laura Tach Ronald Mincy Kathryn Edin |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Psychology, The George Washington University, 2125 G St., NW., Washington, 20052, DC, USA;(2) Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA;(3) Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA;(4) Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA |
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Abstract: | Fatherhood has traditionally been viewed as part of a “package deal” in which a father’s relationship with his child is contingent
on his relationship with the mother. We evaluate the accuracy of this hypothesis in light of the high rates of multiple-partner
fertility among unmarried parents using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a recent longitudinal survey ofnonmarital
births in large cities. We examine whether unmarried mothers’ and fathers’ subsequent relationship and parenting transitions
are associated with declines in fathers ’ contact with their nonresident biological children. We find that father involvement
drops sharply after relationships between unmarried parents end. Mothers’ transitions into new romantic partnerships and new
parenting roles are associated with larger declines in involvement than fathers’ transitions. Declines in fathers’ involvement
following a mother’s relationship or parenting transition are largest when children are young. We discuss the implications
of our results for the well-being ofnonmarital children and the quality of nonmarital relationships faced with high levels
of relationship instability and multiple-partner fertiliy. |
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