> In a related vein, I see that our old "friend" Dr. Laura is at it again,
> with another attack on psychology in today's newspaper column (if you
> don't get her column in Germany, I give you my hearty congratulations...).
> At one point she writes (about a recent journal article),
>
> "The conclusion of this study suggests that fathers in two-parent
> heterosexual families are not necessary to the psychological health of
> children, that divorce does not irretrievably harm the majority of
> children, and that any harmful effects of divorce are related to
> economics. Are you clinical psychologists who do family therapy out there
> buying this nonsense?".
>
> Apparently if it violates her a priori beliefs, then it must be (her
> words)
> "Junk science". Again, I am not impressed with her ethics.
>
> Paul Smith
> Alverno College
Hmm...can you say more about "her ethics?" I don't understand that.
I admit -- I find a lot of truth in Dr. Laura's comments; of course, I also find
her to be a nag, self-righteous, and waaaayyyyy too self-involved. She's a
good example of substance being polluted by style.
The article she talks about ("Deconstructing the essential father" published
in the June issue of AP) seems to be another meta-analysis (that always
suggest a lack of significant differences) that suggests fathers are NOT
essential to child development.
So pardon me if this violates my a priori beliefs, but so what! I don't care
how many studies you look at -- ain't nobody raising my children better or
loving them more than me (ok, and their mother).
I find it interesting that the APA decided to publish its "hey dad -- you're not
that important" article in the same month as Father's Day!
I also find it interesting that the authors sidestep two decades of research
attesting to the impact of father absence on the well-being of children,
including increased risk for school failure, emotional and behavioral
problems, juvenile crime, and teenage pregnancy.
According to Urie Bronfenbrenner: "Controlling for factors such as low
income, children growing up in [father absent] households are at a greater
risk for experiencing avariety of behavioral and educational problems,
including extremes of hyperactivity and withdrawal; lack of attentiveness in
the classroom; difficulty in deferring gratification; impaired academic
achievement; school misbehavior; absenteeism; dropping out; involvement in
socially alienated peer groups, and the so-called 'teenage syndrome' of
behaviors that tend to hang together -- smoking, drinking, early and frequent
sexual experience, and in the more extreme cases, drugs, suicide,
vandalism, violence, and criminal acts."
Comments?
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Jim Guinee, Ph.D. Director of Training, Counseling Center
Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Psychology/Counseling
Dept. of Health Sciences
President-Elect, Arkansas College Counselor Association
University of Central Arkansas
313 Bernard Hall Conway, AR 72035
(501) 450-3138 (office) (501) 450-3248 (fax)
"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning."
Proverbs 9:9
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