The Decline of Marriage and Fatherhood.
In Popenoe's article, he discusses how generally we are experiencing a deterioration in today's American society because of the rapid decline in the presence of fathers in the existing family structure. He discusses six key points: fathers are essential, but problematic; the role of fatherhood within marriage; the shrinking fatherly expectations; the debate over the importance of fatherhood; the necessity of fathers and mothers; and the correlations between fatherhood, marriage, and the good society.
Popenoe begins by pointing out that paternal absence is a major force lying behind many of the social problems that have been on the rise over the past thirty years, including crime and delinquency, premature sexuality and teenage pregnancies, deteriorating educational achievement, depression, substance abuse, and the growing number of women in poverty. He states "In just three decades, from 1960 to 1990, the percentage of children living apart from their biological fathers more than doubled, from 17 to 36 percent" (1996: 322). Also contributed to the decreasing number of fathers is that society has began to think of the paternal role as merely a social role, one that women can fill themselves and therefore rendering it unnecessary. .
The fact that a father is present in the family structure does not always mean it will be a positive environment for child-rearing. Popenoe acknowledges the fact that fathers are not always positive role models, and that "across societies, fathers may or may not be closely engaged with their children, reside with the mother, or see their father role as highly important" (1996: 322). Although evolutionists say that the human family, which is considered the oldest social institution, is a source of enormous evolutionary advantage for human beings, it is still a common misconception that "men are not biologically as attuned to being committed fathers as women are to being mothers" (Popenoe 1996: 323).
