Open AccessNew Discoveries, Concepts and Questions in the Search to Understand Fathers' Influence on Child Development
Author(s) -
Brandi Hoffman
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
sovremennaâ zarubežnaâ psihologiâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2304-4977
DOI - 10.17759/jmfp.2022110102
Subject(s) - sociology , child development , social sphere , engineering ethics , social science , developmental psychology , psychology , engineering
Just 20 years ago scholars called the sphere of fatherhood research “understudied.” Today the view is quite different. Fatherhood studies have multiplied in universities across the world, and new discoveries have revealed opportunities for more research directions. New concepts and methodology have given us the opportunity to understand fatherhood at its many levels and analyze its multi-dimensional influence on child development. A better understanding of this influence has in turn inspired changes in the spheres of law, social work, and medicine. This article reviews the development of fatherhood research at the turn of the 21st century and in the past 20 years. It highlights key recent discoveries and changes in the study of fathers' influence on child development, and offers perspectives for further research in this important sphere.