Communicating Fatherhood is the first text to focus squarely on communication by and about fathers. This highly readable collection features an engaging mix of research chapters, personal reflections, and rich qualitative explorations of fatherhood as it is depicted in media, cultural traditions, father support programs, and the often-poignant reports of daughters, sons, spouses, and other family members. The amazing diversity of fatherhood is on display, with chapters exploring the experiences of Native American, African American, and Latino dads and their families. The reader will also hear from stay-at-home dads, nonresidential fathers, dads who are sperm donors, adoptive dads, and fathers who have been challenged by addiction, disability, and toxic versions of masculinity.
Although grounded in communication research and theory, Communicating Fatherhood strikes personal and emotional chords that will resonate with student readers and researchers alike. Authors share personal experiences of fatherhood ¿ some heartwarming, and others painful ¿ all of which emphasize the powerful and lifelong influence of "father-speak". The text generates deep insights for readers hoping to be fathers, family members seeking to understand fathers, and researchers studying the role communication has in shaping the many and varied roles played by fathers in families. Committed to tracing the development of fatherhood across the lifespan, Communicating Fatherhood is the perfect text for undergraduate and graduate courses in family communication, personal relationships, lifespan communication, and gender studies.
"In this pioneering book Communicating Fatherhood, the editors have assembled an impressive range of scholarly and practitioner voices. The focus on communication and fathers is unparalleled in the current market and makes an outstanding companion to books focusing on maternal communication. Chapters cover essential topics, such as how father ideals have evolved over time, father-offspring bonds, and influences of traditional and emerging media on fatherhood. The book provides an eclectic and multivocal view of fatherhood, examining the experiences of dads who are Black, Latino, Native American, adoptive, working and stay-at-home, nonresidential, gay, recent immigrants, and dads with disabilities."
¿Michelle Miller-Day, Professor, Chapman University
Author: Constructing Motherhood and Fatherhood Across the Lifespan
"Editors Vince Waldron and Tom Socha bring together authors who share research and personal experiences focused on the doing of fatherhood via communication and media, how fathers challenge and change roles and relationships as the lifespan unfolds. Readers will find this book very useful in in their own families and communities."
¿Dawn O. Braithwaite, Willa Cather Professor of Communication Studies (Emerita), University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Author: "Communication Matters" blog, Psychology Today
"Waldron and Socha have compiled an impressive collection of essays exploring fatherhood from scientific, historical, educational, and experiential perspectives. Communicating Fatherhood is a must read for anyone seeking to more fully understand the changing landscape of American families."
¿Douglas L. Kelley, Professor of Communication (Emeritus), Arizona State University

Vincent R. Waldron (PhD, Ohio State University) is Professor of Communication and Lincoln Professor of Relational Ethics at Arizona State University. Dr. Waldron is author or editor of eight scholarly books and a previous chair of the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
Thomas J. Socha (PhD, University of Iowa) is Professor of Communication and University Professor at Old Dominion University. He is author or editor of nine books (two more forthcoming), past president of the Southern States Communication Association, and founding editor of Journal of Family Communication.

List of Illustrations and Tables - Preface - Acknowledgments - Communicating Fatherhood-Brief Bios - Vincent R. Waldron/Thomas J. Socha: Dads (Re)discovered: Researching, Educating, and Enacting Fatherhood - Thomas J. Socha: In Search of Good Father-Speak: Conceptualization and Education - Lauren Johnsen: "Be Seen and Not Heard": Understanding Fathers' Role in Pregnancy, Labor, and Delivery

- Elizabeth Craig/QianaR. Cryer-Coupet/Amber Holland/Lopamudra Tripathi Banerjee: Communication and Identity among Nonresidential Fathers with Children in Kinship Care - Qiana R. Cryer-Coupet/Alvin Thomas: Two Black Fatherhood Scholars Reflect on the (Pervasive) Myth of the Missing Black Father - Albert Pooley: Fatherhood Is Sacred/Motherhood Is Sacred: An Education and Support Program Designed for Native American Families - Benjamin Cline/Richard Rodriguez: A "Father Power" Course: Co-constructing Fatherhood - Alice Jones: Exploring Identities and Support Needs of Stay-at-Home Fathers - Daniel Strasser: Negotiating Toxic Masculinity in Father-Son Communication: Construction of Generational Masculinities in an Era of Masculinity-In-Crisis - James Stephens: Forgetting, Failure, and Fantasy: Stories of Gay Adoptive Parenting - Vincent R. Waldron/Asher Pimley: Turning Points in Father-Offspring Relationships: Life Passages, Momentous Conversations, and Revelations of Character - Catalina Cayetano: "Es como un Puente, va y Viene con Información." [They are Like a Bridge; They Come and go with Information]: A Qualitative Exploration of Mexican-Origin Fathers' Relational Perceptions of Adolescent Language Brokers - NarissraM. Punyanunt-Carter; Ryan J. Martinez; Kevin Plascensia: Focusing on Immediacy and Satisfaction in Father-Daughter Young Adult Relationships - Erin K. Willer: A Missing P(i)eace: Forgiving Parents Who Die from Alcohol Addiction - Bailey M. Oliver-Blackburn: Stepping in and Stepping Beyond: Negotiating Fatherhood in Discourse Dependent Families - DianaRodriguez/Emily Onwiler/Leslie Vidal Rodriguez/Vincent R. Waldron: "Una Persona que Cumple con su Palabra" (a Person of his Word): Latino Fathers and Offspring Define Their Relationships - Chip Conley: Disrupting Traditional Ideas of Fatherhood: A Gay Dad's Connection with His Biological Kids - Chelsea E. Moss/Steven R. Wilson: The Rise and Fall of Portrayed Paternal Social Support over Six Decades of Television Sitcoms: Implications for Understanding Paternal Involvement - Stacy Tye-Williams/Carrie Ann Johnson/Kelly G. Odenweller/SamanthaCosgrove/Daniel Henke: Social Support, Fathers, and Work: At Home and Outside of the Home - Brian Heisterkamp/ChristinaG. Yoshimura: Dear Ian Joseph: Fathers' Memorable Messages about Work/Family Tension - Corey Staten: Blindness, Black Culture, and Fatherhood: An Authentic Back Story - Rita L. Rahoi-Gilchrest/Aurea K. Osgood - "My job is to help you get ready for your own sh*t show": Incorporating Narratives of Real Fathers in Classroom Conversations - Jessica M. Rick/Danielle M. Halliwell: Blogging though Fatherhood: Stay-at-home Dads' Online Communication and Community - C. Wesley Buerkle: Dad Bros: Performing Fatherhood in a Social Media Group - Index.