Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

The Biology of Fatherhood

113 replies

IdaBWells · 13/08/2019 18:22

Fatherhood is a relatively new field of study, but so far studies of biological fathers living with their biological children have shown to lessen aggression in both sons and daughters. Having her biological father in the home also seems to postpone a daughter becoming sexually active and decrease a daughter’s likelihood in engaging in risky sexual behaviour.

Here is an interesting article www.fatherly.com/health-science/science-benefits-of-fatherhood-dads-father-effect/

I think it’s important to look at the biology of fatherhood so we can acknowledge the biological differences in both men and women and how their unique physical presence can have a protective and positive effective on children’s outcomes.

OP posts:
Original poster
IdaBWells · 13/08/2019 19:44

We all know there are horrible parents, male and female. Our course high quality parenting will be better for kids, but then we have to define what that is. I just find it interesting that it’s the presence of the biological father that helps, you can switch out another male but biology helps. There are constant threads on here with stepmothers struggling to connect in the same way with kids who are not their biological offspring. There is a general understanding and empathy that it can be harder to bond with children when they are not yours biologically. So why can’t we discuss that as it pertains to men? Having their biological father living with them (obviously if he’s not abusive) seems to have a protective effect on girls and increases boys and girls IQ by age two. If we were saying that about biological mothers it would be completely uncontroversial.

OP posts:
Goosefoot · 13/08/2019 19:26

"there have been a lot of studies over several decades looking at a lot of children and a lot of different ways to measure parenting outcomes including psychological wellbeing. In what sort of respects constituting "doing as well" do you suspect that children of lesbian parents would suffer?"

I have no idea. If we had some good information on the effects fathers have on kids, it might be possible to speculate.

donquixotedelamancha · 13/08/2019 19:26

why do the children of lesbian parents do as well as the children of straight couples?

I think the OP is mixing up correlation and causation. Everything Ida said may be true but that does not mean that the presence of a Dad in itself has a positive effect. There are lots of models of good parenting and Science is not going to be able to tell us some gold standard- it doesn't work like that.

If we want to affirm the importance of female biology then surely we should Ben saying the same of men. Our bodies count.

Some biological mothers horribly abuse their kids. Many non-biological parents do a fantastic job. Sharing genes means nothing about being a good parent. Lets not mix up 'usual' with 'best'.

MirrorMouse · 13/08/2019 19:22

Ida - you seemed to be saying that the respect in which male biology was important was parenting outcomes. I was saying in response to that,that lesbian parents' children do as well as straight couples' children

Goosefoot, there have been a lot of studies over several decades looking at a lot of children and a lot of different ways to measure parenting outcomes including psychological wellbeing. In what sort of respects constituting "doing as well" do you suspect that children of lesbian parents would suffer?

Cascade220 · 13/08/2019 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goosefoot · 13/08/2019 19:15

OP - it doesn't surprise me that people are reluctant to talk about possibilities like this. As much as most want to be clear about the differences between the sexes, I find most also become very uncomfortable when that starts to look at behaviour, effects on parenting, or really anything that might impact something else they think is important.

For what it's worth I am sure family stability is a reason for this, but I also think there are probably other factors. Having a positive relationship with a man, a positive role model, is probably an important factor. Anecdotally I also think men tend to parent a little differently than women and it's positive to be exposed to that.

I also wonder if a significant factor might be that in households where there is no father, there might tend to be a series of boyfriends. Boyfriends are less likely to be positive than fathers for a number of reasons, and I also think most kids don't benefit from seeing their parents have a series of relationships, even if the people are perfectly nice.

Goosefoot · 13/08/2019 19:09

If that is true, Ida, then why do the children of lesbian parents do as well as the children of straight couples?

It might be that there is no difference, but I don't know that I generally trust studies intended to make these kinds of comparisons. It's too vague a concept and there are too many choices about what "do as well as" means.

Original poster
IdaBWells · 13/08/2019 19:05

I am just asking, if we say female biology is important why cannot we say the same for men? In terms of other biases that’s obviously down to the design of the study.

MirrorMouse I did not indicate that any kind of parenting is better than another, just that biology has an effect. Why the reluctance to talk about biology? Of course it’s not the whole story but not talking enough about biology has meant gender ideology has swept the world with very little challenge. I am just interested in these questions.

OP posts:
MirrorMouse · 13/08/2019 18:57

If that is true, Ida, then why do the children of lesbian parents do as well as the children of straight couples?
www.apa.org/about/policy/parenting

AnyOldPrion · 13/08/2019 18:52

I was thinking the same Midge. Families where the parents stay together have a degree of stability and will include the families where the parents actually get on and can manage to parent together. That must have an effect on the average behaviour of the children. Surely common sense could tell you this.

MIdgebabe · 13/08/2019 18:35

HOw can you differentiate between the biological effects and the effects caused by children interacting with people who have experiancd different socialisation ?

Original poster
IdaBWells · 13/08/2019 18:28

The difference is scientific studies rather than just theories. If we want to affirm the importance of female biology then surely we should Ben saying the same of men. Our bodies count.

OP posts:
MockerstheFeManist · 13/08/2019 18:24

New?

Freud and Jung had plenty to say on the subject.