Father-Daughter Relationships

Linda Nielsen is a Professor of Adolescent and Educational Psychology at Wake Forest University (US). A member of the faculty for 35 years, she is a nationally recognized expert on father-daughter relationships.

#9 choice in best fatherhood books for 2020, Book Authority: https://bookauthority.org/books/new-fatherhood-booksThis book provides a very readable and engaging review of the scholarly literature on father-daughter relationships. This new edition brings to life the most recent research and scholarship and is certain to intrigue and excite students, teachers, and clinicians striving to understand how father-child relationships can enhance or impede the well-being of girls and women. The presentation is enlivened by illustrative comments by fathers and daughters about their own relationships. Michael E. Lamb, Psychology Professor, University of Cambridge, President of Developmental Psychology division of the American Psychological Association. Editor of The Role of the Father in Child Development An astonishing breadth of scholarship that captures the current state of knowledge and presents it in a crisp, clear, and entertaining format. Essential for courses on child development, this book is also an indispensable resource for professionals who work with families. Nielsen illustrates the implications and applications of research with captivating examples from Barbie dolls to Super Bowl ads, making the book appealing to anyone interested in the vital role that a father occupies in his daughter’s development. Richard A. Warshak, Ph. D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Author of Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-mouthing and BrainwashingThis extraordinary book is destined to become a classic. It should be on every family scholar’s bookshelf. Nielsen tackles a massive amount of data to make a major contribution to our understanding of father-daughter relationships. A key strength is the way Nielsen brings current research to bear on a plethora of "woozles"— widely-believed, but inaccurate beliefs about fathering. Her scope reaches far beyond white middle-class families to include ethnic minorities, gay, divorced and single-parent fathers, and fathers impacted by incarceration, poverty, substance abuse, and chronic illness. Patricia Papernow, Ed.D. American Psychological Association Psychologist of the Year, Division of Couples & Family Counseling. Author of Surviving & Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships

• Chapter One: Fathers, facts and fictions What’s a woozle? How are woozles born and raised? How our memories and cognitive processing deceive usThe most damaging woozles Maternal instinctThe female brain: hardwired for mothering Babies’ primary bond with their mothers The stronger impact of mothers Mother’s superior parenting style Female empathy and communicationChildcare: Second shift moms and shiftless dadsPhysically abusive and murderous fathers Chapter Two : Fathers and FatherhoodIgnoring, dismissing or demeaning fathers Social science research Children’s literature and films Media and advertisingMedical and mental health professionals Constraints on fathering time: WorkAmerican paternity leave policies Does income trump good fathering? What is "good" fathering? Fathering scales and questionnairesHow fatherhood changes menFinancial stressStress on parents’ relationshipEmotional stress: postpartum depression Quality of the parent-child relationship Daughters’ impact on their fathers Chapter ThreeThe Father’s impact: Cognitive, academic, vocational, social and emotional Cognitive developmentInfancy through preschoolChildhood through early adulthood Vocational development Social relationships: Peers and teachers Sexual behavior, romantic relationships and marriage Depression and suicide Identify and individuation Chapter fourThe father’s impact: The daughter’s physical well-being Premature baby careAdequate Sleep Physical reactions to stress Obesity Physical activity and sports Eating disordersOverview of teenage and young adult substance us Daughters’ teenage and young adult drinking Daughters’ smoking and vaping Daughters’ marijuana useDaughter’s opioid use Sexual behavior: Impact on physical healthTeenage pregnancy Sexually transmitted diseasesDating aggression and rape The father’s impact on sexual health risks Chapter Five – The mother’s impact on father-daughter relationshipsPsychoanalytic theoriesAttachment theory Family systems theory Closeness, communication and conflict with mothers versus fathersLove versus closeness and communicationMaternal gate-keeping Quality of the co-parenting relationshipQuality of the parents’ relationship and parenting stress Chapter Six - Divorced or separated fathers and their daughters The relationships at greatest risk Impact of parental separation on daughters Damaging beliefs: Divorce woozles Shared versus sole physical custodyParents’ damaging disclosuresEnmeshment and role reversals Maternal gatekeepingParental alienationRemarriage and blended families Chapter Seven : Fathers and daughters in minority families Socio-economic differences among minorities Colorism: Impact on daughters and the father’s role African American familiesHispanic American families Asian American familiesNative American families Immigrant families Chapter Eight: Destructive or Challenging Father-Daughter Relationships Impoverished, single mother families Incarcerated FathersAlcoholic fathersDrug addicted fathers: The opioid epidemicSexually abusive fathersFathers in the militarySingle fathers raising daughters Gay or bisexual fathers Lesbian or bisexual daughtersDaughters of sperm donorsFathers with chronic or fatal illnesses