What Matters Most? Money, Relationships, and Visions of Masculinity as Key Correlates of Father Involvement

Abstract

This research examines the influence of human capital and masculine identity on fathers’ verbal interactions with children. Random effects techniques were applied to the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study and addressed the importance of time-variant indicators of economic capital and relational capital alongside fathers’ visions of masculinity at the child’s birth. Results indicated that higher levels of human capital were positively associated with father involvement—though relational capital was more consequential for involvement than economic capital. Visions of masculinity served as a poor predictor of father involvement suggesting masculinities per se did not influence father involvement. Findings suggested program and policy initiatives designed to encourage co-parenting and healthy relationships with birth mothers might be more effective in bolstering involvement than educational or training programs.