Introduction

In 1981, Jessie Bernard, a family sociologist, wrote that a subtle revolution" was taking place in America. She was referring to the changes that were occurring in family structure and family life. A significant proportion of children are being raised in single-parent households, and many of these children have little or no contact with their fathers. Vivian L. Gadsden, Edward W. Pitt, and Neil Tift have examined the nexus between practice, research, and policy in the field of fathering and how these three domains have the potential to work more collaboratively with one another. Many people regard parenting as one of the most challenging endeavors in which adults engage. Alan J. Hawkins, David C. Dollahite, and S. E. Brotherson use the term "fatherwork" to describe the conduct of generative fathering. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.