ABSTRACT
Before exploring the father’s impact on his daughters’ develop-ment in the remainder of this book, we address four fundamental questions about fathering. First, does a daughter really need a father? If she is raised only by her mother, or by two lesbian mothers, is she disadvantaged by being fatherless? In short, are fathers “necessary”? Second, how have researchers, societal institutions, and family policies traditionally treated fathers relative to mothers? More specifically, how much attention have fatherdaughter relationships typically received and what accounts for this? ird, what is “good” or “bad” fathering? Which fathering behaviors enhance the daughter’s development and strengthen the father-daughter bond-and which inhibit or damage them? Put differently, what does it mean to say a daughter is well-fathered or poorly fathered? Fourth, in what ways do daughters influence and impact their fathers? Although most research and discussions focus exclusively on the father’s impact, a few recent studies reveal the flip side of the coin: the daughter’s impact on her father. e father-daughter relationship is not one sided in its impact or its influence. e daughter’s impact on her father also merits our attention as we explore the complex, lifelong relationship between father and daughter.
