Moving Past Dichotomies of Fathering Roles: A New Approach

Objective This study revisits conceptual and operational definitions of fatherhood status to better account for family complexity characteristic of contemporary families. Background Family complexity has emerged as a theme in research on contemporary families in the United States. Scholars have revisited methodological approaches to more readily document diversity and complexity characteristic of many families. Yet, the current conceptualization and operationalization of fatherhood status has lagged by focusing on a man's ties to one focal child. Method The authors advocate for an approach that encapsulates ties men have with biological resident children, nonresident biological children, and resident stepchildren simultaneously. Analyses make use of the 2006 to 2015 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally representative, repeated cross‐section and employ descriptive and multivariate analyses to identify the prevalence of various fatherhood statuses and consider the implications for father involvement among nonresident fathers. Results Findings indicated that one in five fathers' ties to children were not adequately described by traditional approaches to measuring fatherhood. In addition, complexity in fatherhood status was only marginally associated with nonresident biological fathers' economic support to children when sociodemographic characteristics were considered. Conclusion Traditional approaches proved most problematic for non‐White and socioeconomically disadvantaged men. We demonstrate the utility of our proposed approach to measuring fatherhood status by considering its linkage with nonresident father involvement and conclude by considering the implications these findings have for family policy.