ABSTRACT
Most fathers, regardless of their personal circumstances, want to be a good father (Dudley and Stone, 2001; Lamb, 1986; Smyth, 2005). However, separation and divorce are among several factors that have led to more and more fathers not sharing the same home address as their children. Despite increasing evidence that fathers can contribute significantly to their children’s education, health and well-being, and that for many non-resident fathers contact with their children is important and highly desirable but inadequate, research on non-resident fathers, fatherhood and family as aspects of contemporary western society and family life is lacking (Fletcher, Fairbairn and Pascoe, 2004; Smyth, 2004a, 2004b).
