ABSTRACT
In Western society the criticism has long been levelled that the father in domestic situations may be regarded as a mere adjunct to the mother. This supplementary status is likely to be viewed unfavourably when compared with the ideal of him enjoying his own unique relationship with their children (Bedford and Johnson, 1988). In this chapter I aim to show that this general observation has been identified to no less an extent by researchers who investigate the development of the new family.
