Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Findings from this project have been disseminated widely through invited talks at several academic institutions, professional meetings, and research networks that I participate in. For example, between 10/1/08 and 9/30/09, presentations were made at a conference on Culture and Poverty at the University of Chicago, the Society for Research in Child Development Meeting, and the NICHD Transition to Fatherhood network meeting. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
During 2009, one publication from this project appeared in the Annals of the American Academy of Policital and Social Science as part of a special issue on culture and poverty. For this issue, leading qualitative scholars in the field were asked to draw on their own work to outline a research agenda for examining the intersection of culture and poverty which uses new analytical and theoretical approaches. Policymakers have become increasingly interested in addressing the cultural dimensions of child support, responsible fatherhood, and marriage in poor communities. However, policy studies have primarily focused on identifying economic determinants of these issues, with a substantial amount of variation in their models left unexplained. The Annals paper draws on in-depth interviews I have conducted with disadvantaged mothers and fathers to illustrate how a systematic investigation into the meaning of low-income men's ties to families may fill in, or provide alternative explanations for some outcomes related to paternal involvement documented in previous research. In particular, it suggests that analyzing paternal involvement through a cultural lens may not only reveal new mechanisms and outcomes for consideration in future policy studies, but may also inform recent policy initiatives, by reducing the risk that they will be misdirected or have unintended consequences for poor families. A second publication presents an overview of research on marriage expectations, including work I have published in this area on how low-income, unmarried parents assess their chances of marriage and how this is associated with their early union outcomes.
Publications
- Waller, Maureen R. 2009. Family Man in the Other America: New Opportunities, Motivations, and Supports for Paternal Caregiving. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 624: 156-74.
- Waller, Maureen R. 2009. Expectations about Marriage. Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, edited by Harry Reis and Susan Sprecher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My primary research activities in 2008 included analyzing survey data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a 20 city study of unmarried parents and their children. I also examined data from qualitative interviews I conducted with a sub-sample of parents in the study in the Oakland, California site. I presented findings from this analysis at the Exploring Culture and Poverty conference (University of Chicago), at the Fathering across Diversity and Adversity: International Perspectives and Policy Interventions conference (the University of Pennsylvania), and at the School of Social Service Administration (the University of Chicago). PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Paternal absence and non-support have been hotly debated issues, but much of this debate has reflected assumptions about low-income men which are not grounded in strong empirical evidence. Political scientist Jocelyn Crowley and I (Perspectives on Politics) have taken a rare look at how middle-class men in fathers' rights groups view the child support system in comparison to men with children on welfare. We found important differences in the way these men express dissatisfaction with child support policies which have stong implications for policymaker responsiveness. Although the absence of many men prior to or following a nonmarital birth has been well documented, some key reasons for this disengagement have also not been fully explored. Ray Swisher and I found that fathers' current and previous incarceration was strongly associated with paternal contact and maternal distrust of fathers to care for children in White families, while having a smaller effect in African American and Latino families (Journal of Family Issues). Men's feelings about having a may also affect their willingness to be involved. However, most quantitative studies have relied on women's reports of pregnancy intentions and their influence on early maternal behaviors. Marianne Bitler and I (PSRH) show that unmarried fathers are indeed less likely to make cash or in-kind contributions during the pregnancy and unmarried mothers are less likely to initiate early prenatal care when one or both parents reported the pregnancy was unintended. Understanding declines in marriage and the fragility of relationships in poor communities has also been an important focus of public debate, however, adequate explanations for why low-income men and women are postponing marriage after they have a child together have proven to be elusive. "The Risk of Divorce as a Barrier to Marriage among Parents of Young Children," co-authored with economist Elizabeth Peters (Social Science Research) uses a novel approach to test a hypothesis from previous qualitative work that suggests unmarried parents' decision to delay marriage is related to their fear of divorce. We find that parents with a higher predicted probability of divorce were significantly more likely to remain single in the first three years after their child's birth, even while controlling for factors strongly related to marriage transitions. There is also a need to better understand factors that facilitate union longevity in poor communities, where couples face multiple challenges. "How Do Disadvantaged Parents View Tensions in their Relationships" (Family Relations) draws on my longitudinal interviews with new parents to examine the narrative frames through which partners in stable and unstable unions viewed common tensions over economic and housing issues, domestic responsibilities, personal problems, communication, trust, and their family and social networks. I found that couples that remained stable normalized these tensions within the context of a relationship they described as progressing, encouraging them to stay together when new problems emerged.
Publications
- Waller, Maureen R. 2008. How Do Disadvantaged Parents View Tensions in their Relationships Insights for Relationship Longevity among At-Risk Couples. Family Relations 57(2): 128-143.
- Crowley, Jocelyn E., Margaret Watson, and Maureen R. Waller. 2008. Understanding Power Talk: Language, Public Policy, and Democracy. Perspectives on Politics 6(1): 71-88.
- Waller, Maureen R. and Marianne Bitler. (Forthcoming, 2008). The Link between Couples Pregnancy Intentions and Behavior: Does It Matter Who Is Asked Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
- Waller, Maureen R. and H. Elizabeth Peters. 2008. The Risk of Divorce as a Barrier to Marriage among Parents of Young Children. Social Science Research 37(4): 1188-1199.
- Swisher, Raymond and Maureen Waller. 2008. Confining Fatherhood: Incarceration and Paternal Involvement among Nonresident White, African-American and Latino Fathers. Journal of Family Issues 29(8): 1067-1088.
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
My primary research activities in 2007 included analyzing survey data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a 20 city study of unmarried parents and their children. I also examined data from qualitative interviews I conducted with a sub-sample of parents in the study in the Oakland, California site. I presented findings from this analysis at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in New York, the Population Association of America Annual Meeting in New York, and the Incarceration and Fatherhood Conference at Cornell University. I also helped co-organize two national conferences around the themes of marriage and father and a seminar series on the topic of the Evolving Family.
Impacts
I had three articles accepted for publication, one conditional acceptance, and an invitation to revise and resubmit a manuscript in 2007. Below, I discuss how three of articles which are forthcoming contribute to a change in knowledge. Confining Fatherhood (with Ray Swisher) shows that unmarried fathers' current incarceration presents serious obstacles to maintaining contact with children and interferes with the establishment of informal financial support agreements with mothers. Recent and past incarceration are strongly and negatively associated with how often non-Latino White fathers see their children, while having a considerably smaller effect for African American and Latino fathers. A similar pattern of racial and ethnic differences is observed with respect to mothers' trust of fathers to take care of their children. Findings suggest the continued need for fathering programs in prisons and for re-entry programs for fathers in communities following their release.
How Do Disadvantaged Parents View Tensions in their Relationships examines the narrative frames through which stable and unstable couples who have had a child outside of marriage view tensions over domestic responsibilities, economic and housing issues, personal problems, communication, trust, and their social networks. Information from these interviews suggests that stable couples framed tensions as manageable within the context of a relationship they perceived to be moving forward, whereas unstable couples problematized tensions when their relationship trajectory was viewed as volatile and uncertain. Three years later, couples continued to apply these narrative frames to new and ongoing tensions if expectations about their relationship trajectories were met. However, some couples changed narrative frames to account for unexpected positive or negative developments in their relationships. These findings have implications for policies and programs designed to strengthen the
relationships of low-income couples. Understanding Power Talk (with Jocelyn Crowley and Margaret Watson) examines the discourse patterns of two very different groups of fathers as they discuss their problems with the child support enforcement system: fathers' rights members and fathers with children on welfare. Although we find that there is broad overlap in terms of the general nature of fathers' problems with the child support system, each group's members use very different language to describe their difficulties. Fathers' rights members are much more likely to remain connected to the system, and while challenging current policy, do not champion lawbreaking as a viable means of demonstrating their opposition. Fathers with children on welfare, on the other hand, speak in terms that reflect their disconnection from these policies, and frequently reveal their subsequent choice to engage in evasive and even illegal behavior as viable means of expressing their dissatisfaction. We
conclude that these different ways of speaking about public policy problems can have important implications for policymaker responsiveness, and ultimately, each group's political inclusion in a democratic society.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
During 2006, I published an article entitled Fathers Risk Factors in Fragile Families: Implications for Healthy Relationships and Father Involvement in Social Problems. In this article, Raymond Swisher and I find that close to half of unmarried fathers in the Fragile Families Study have a risk factor such as domestic violence, substance use problems, or incarceration. These fathers are less likely to be involved with their young children and their relationships with mothers mediate this involvement. Qualitative evidence helps us interpret these findings by illustrating the processes through which these relationship and parenting outcomes unfold. I was also invited to revise and resubmit two other articles that use survey data from the Fragile Families Study. The first paper, co-authored with Elizabeth Peters, examines how unmarried parents fear of divorce is related to marriage within about three years of their child s birth. We find that unmarried parents who had a
high likelihood of divorce are much more likely to delay marriage, even after taking other factors strongly associated with marriage into account. A second paper with Raymond Swisher shows that fathers' current incarceration presents serious obstacles to maintaining contact with children and interferes with the establishment of informal financial support agreements with mothers. The effects of past incarceration, however, vary significantly by race and ethnicity. Finally, I submitted two articles to journals using qualitative data I collected from low-income parents which focus on fathers co-parenting and views of the child support system respectively. I presented findings from these papers at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in Montreal and at the New Data on Fathers: An Examination of Recent Trends in Fatherhood and Father Involvement Conference at Cornell University.
Impacts
Research about factors that encourage and discourage paternal involvement and marriage in families headed by unmarried parents is highly relevant for new welfare reform and child support initiatives. It also informs academic research on marriage, fatherhood, poverty, and nonmarital childbearing.
Publications
- Waller, M.R. and Swisher, R.R. 2006. Fathers Risk Factors in Fragile Families: Implications for Healthy Relationships and Father Involvement. Social Problems 53 (3): 392-420.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
During 2005, I published an article entitled His and Her Marriage Expectations: Determinants and Consequences (with Sara McLanahan) in the Journal of Marriage and Family. This analysis uses nationally representative data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine how the marriage expectations of unmarried mothers and fathers are related to marriage and union dissolution about one year after their child s birth. We find that unmarried parents are much more likely to formalize their relationships and maintain their unions when one or both partners expect to marry. Other factors related to marriage and union stability include having children from previous relationships, distrust, conflict, and shared activities. I was also invited to revise and resubmit two articles that use survey data from the Fragile Families Study as well as qualitative data I collected from a sub-sample of new, unmarried mothers and fathers in the study. The first paper,
co-authored with Elizabeth Peters, examines how unmarried parents fear of divorce is related to marriage within about three years of their child s birth. We find that unmarried parents who had a high likelihood of divorce are much more likely to delay marriage, even after taking other factors strongly associated with marriage into account. The second paper, co-authored with Raymond Swisher, examines paternal involvement among fathers with risk factors. We find that close to half of unmarried fathers in the Fragile Families Study have a risk factor such as domestic violence, substance use problems, or incarceration. These fathers are less likely to be involved with their young children and their relationships with mothers mediate this involvement. Qualitative evidence helps us interpret these findings by illustrating the processes through which these relationship and parenting outcomes unfold. I presented findings from these papers at the American Sociological Association Annual
Meeting, the Association for Policy Analysis and Management Annual Meeting, the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan, and the Cornell University Department of Sociology.
Impacts
Research about factors that encourage and discourage marriage and paternal involvement in families headed by unmarried parents is highly relevant for new welfare reform and child support initiatives. It also informs academic research on marriage, fatherhood, poverty, and nonmarital childbearing.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
During 2004, my article entitled His and Her Marriage Expectations: Determinants and Consequences was accepted for publication. This analysis uses nationally representative data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine how the marriage expectations of unmarried mothers and fathers are related to marriage and union dissolution about one year after their childs birth. My co-author, Sara McLanahan, and I find that parents expectations are highly predictive of early transitions in their relationships. When both or either parents expect to marry, they are much more likely to formalize their relationships and maintain their unions. Other factors related to marriage and union stability include having children from previous relationships, distrust, conflict, and shared activities. This article will be published in the next issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family. I also submitted two articles for publication that that use the Fragile Families survey
data as well as qualitative data collected from new, unmarried mothers and fathers in the survey. The first paper, co-authored with Elizabeth Peters, examines how unmarried parents perceptions of divorce are related to marriage within about three years of their childs birth. We find that unmarried parents who had a high predicted probability of divorce were much more likely to delay marriage, even after taking other factors strongly associated with marriage into account. The second paper, co-authored with Ray Swisher, examines how unmarried mothers mediate fathers interactions with their children in cases in which men have been abusive, have experienced drug or alcohol problems, or have been incarcerated. While we find that all of these negative characteristics are associated with lower levels of paternal involvement, unmarried mothers are particularly likely to end relationships and restrict fathers contact with children in cases of domestic violence. I presented findings from these
papers at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the National Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference in Washington, D.C., and the Cornell Policy Perspectives Seminar in Albany, New York.
Impacts
Findings about factors that encourage and discourage union stability and paternal involvement in families headed by unmarried parents are highly relevant for new welfare initiatives as well as to academic research on marriage and nonmarital childbearing.
Publications
- Waller, Maureen R. and Sara S. McLanahan. 2005. His and Her Marriage Expectations: Determinants and Consequences. Journal of Marriage and Family 67: 53-67.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
The objectives of my research are to examine relationships between mothers and fathers and between fathers and their children in low-income families, particularly those families headed by unmarried parents, and their implications for the well-being of children. During the past year, I published a monograph that examines the well-being of children in the California and the country as a whole using state and nationally representative data. We found disparities among sub-groups children in the four key areas of their development examined including, physical health, emotional and behavioral adjustment, educational attachment, and social involvement. In general, children in California who live in poorest families, whose parents have the lowest levels of education, and who live in Hispanic immigrant households have worse outcomes than other children. Children in California largely resemble those in the rest of the county after the socioeconomic and demographic composition
of families in the state is accounted for, except in the area of access to mental health services. I also wrote a paper that uses nationally representative data to examine how the marriage expectations of unmarried mothers and fathers are related to marriage and union dissolution about one year after their childs birth. We found that parents expectations are highly predictive of early transitions in their relationships. When both or either parents expect to marry, they are much more likely to formalize their relationships and maintain their unions. Other factors related to marriage and union stability include having children from previous relationships, distrust, conflict, and shared activities. This paper has been revised and resubmitted to the Journal of Marriage and Family. Finally, I wrote a paper that uses survey and qualitative data to examine how unmarried parents perceptions of divorce are related to marriage within about three years of their childs birth. We found that
unmarried parents who had a high predicted probability of divorce were much more likely to delay marriage, even after taking other factors strongly associated with marriage into account. I presented findings from this paper at the National Poverty Center conference in Washington, D.C. and at Cornell. I also presented findings from papers examining factors related to the involvement of unmarried fathers with their children at academic meetings in Washington, D.C.
Impacts
Findings on the well-being of children in California suggest that a substantial number of children may not be adequately served by existing services in the state and identify sub-groups in particular need of help. These findings have broad implications for providing and monitoring services to children. Findings about barriers to marriage and union stability among unmarried parents are highly relevant for new welfare initiatives as well as to academic research on marriage and nonmarital childbearing.
Publications
- Furstenberg, F., Waller, M. and Wang, H. 2003. The Well-being of Californias Children. San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.
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