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Diane O'Connell

Sanford L. Braver

Divorced Dads Hardcover – September 28, 1998

by Sanford Braver (Author)

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A leading authority on fatherhood and divorce uses the findings of his research--the largest federally funded study ever made of the subject--to dispel the myth of the "dead-beat dad" and other conventions about the effects of divorce.

Print length

287 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tarcher
Publication date

September 28, 1998
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

6.32 x 1.1 x 9.32 inches
ISBN-10

087477862X
ISBN-13

978-0874778625
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Greg Ellis
252
Paperback
24 offers from $3.60

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Men who bridle at the stereotype of the "deadbeat dad" with "zipper" problems who vanishes from his children's lives will find consolation in this provocative look at fatherhood in the age of divorce. In an effort to rehabilitate the image of divorced dads and to present them as overwhelmingly responsible and caring parents, Braver, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University, explains how the negative stereotypes have taken hold. Basing his theories on a study he conducted over eight years with 1000 divorcing couples, he argues that faulty research and the need for a villain in divorce cases has fueled a "jeering chorus" of politicians, journalists and sociologists that has transformed bad fatherhood into "an obvious and defenseless scapegoat for the ills of society." Although the U.S. Census Bureau reports that only half of all women receive the child support awarded by the courts, the author contends that this figure is suspect because it doesn't distinguish between divorced fathers and those who've never been married; the latter group, he argues, is less likely to comply with child support. He also contends that many women give erroneous responses when questioned about the money they've received. Braver supports joint custody as being in the child's best interest, but his conviction that children without active fathers join gangs, commit crimes, become pregnant or fail in school?an idea that Braver traces to Patrick Moynihan's now famous 1968 treatise on broken families?is highly debatable. Braver's argument for encouraging dads to get more involved in their families is refreshingly free of chest-thumping rhetoric, but readers with more fluid, less patriarchal notions of family life will find much here to question. Editor, Irene Prokop; agent, Janet Spencer King.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

funded study showing that some divorced fathers really do care about their children. In 1985, Braver (Psychology/Arizona State Univ.) began following more than 1,000 families in Maricopa County, Ariz. (which includes Phoenix), who had filed for divorce but whose marriages were not yet dissolved. His purpose was to put some meat on the bones of the numbers that pointed to divorced dads as abandoning their children financially and emotionally, and to find out why this was happening, if it was. He and his colleagues discovered the numbers were wrong. The Census Bureau figures that had fueled tough new laws (and expensive bureaucracies) to enforce child support were based on interviews only with custodial parents (usually mothers). Then, too, census researchers combined statistics concerning families of divorce with those of never-married single parents to create what Braver calls the myth of deadbeat dads. The author's research demonstrates that the divorced father's unemployment is the most important factor in nonpayment of child support. Myths under attack: the ``disappearing dad,'' who initiates the divorce and then deserts his children; and the widely cited 73 percent drop in standard of living that divorced mothers and children suffer (an alleged error in arithmetic by Harvard researcher Lenore Weitzman). Braver's calculations indicate that post-divorce mothers and fathers share about the same standard of living, at least in the beginning. Although hes not above citing outmoded figures and attitudes himself, Braver does demonstrate that much of the negative view of divorced fathers is dated. The book concludes with suggestions for reform of custody policies and for programs, including extensive counseling and mediation, to either prevent divorce or help both parents minimize its impact on their children. Male martyrdom may be overstated here, but new material suggests that everyone, including fathers, suffers in divorce. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tarcher; 1st edition (September 28, 1998)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 287 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 087477862X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0874778625
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.32 x 1.1 x 9.32 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,058,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,880 in Sociology of Marriage & Family (Books)
- #4,082 in Divorce (Books)
- #162,161 in Social Sciences (Books)

Customer Reviews:
25 ratings

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About the authors

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Diane O'Connell
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Guiding unpublished writers to successful careers has always been my mission. I was thrilled to see when my new book, The Novel-Maker's Handbook, was award Best Writing/Publishing Book of 2015 by Independent Publishers.
After 12 years working as a staff editor at various publishing houses, including Random House, I ventured out on my own, writing over 200 magazine articles to national publications, and authoring six books.
Knowing what it's like on both sides of the editor's desk, I founded Write to Sell Your Book, a full-service author resource with the aim of turning unpublished writers into successful published authors. I know what editors look for, and I understand the passion that drives authors, their desire to follow their dreams, and their determination to create their own publishing destiny.
In addition to working one-on-one with authors, I speak at writing conferences all over the country and conduct Novel Writing Retreats twice a year. Seeing the need to help more fiction authors with my unique process, I wrote The Novel-Maker's Handbook.
I make my home in New York City. When I'm not writing and working with authors, I sing with a local choir and opera company - a life-long passion.
If you'd like to find out how I can work with you, please visit my website: www.writetosellyourbook.com
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Sanford L. Braver
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Customer reviews

4 out of 5

25 global ratings

5 star		46%
4 star		26%
3 star		21%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		7%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Sniffy Peters

Sound research

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 27, 2010

Verified Purchase

This text offers what I considered to be sound research. Braver endeavours to interview both parties following the end of a relationship and in the process uncovers the disputed ground. He also uses his research findings to challenge previously unquestioned truths.

Helpful

donh49

Balanced, Thorough, Responsible Research

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 4, 1999

Verified Purchase

Sanford Braver (Psychology, Arizona State University) and Diane O'Connell offer us a non-technical presentation and discussion of the most thorough, responsible research to date on divorced fathers. Based on Dr. Braver's eight-year, federally-funded study of divorced fathers, this book lives up to its subtitle by shattering myths that are prevalent not only among the general public but also among legislators, judges, policy-makers, and members of the media.

I came away from a careful reading of this book convinced that approaching the problem of child support collection by increasing enforcement mechanisms and penalties is doomed to failure. These approaches seem attractive only because we have misunderstood the problem.

I believe the book will also be helpful for divorced and divorcing fathers. They will learn that they are not alone in the way they have been treated by the divorce system. *Divorced Dads* is neither a self-help book nor an advocacy book. But it will help divorced fathers understand their situation and it will certainly provide the research to ground advocacy to change our current divorce system.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

spassmeister

Exhaustive research and solid logic - a real winner

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 12, 1999

Verified Purchase

Sanford Braver has contributed a compelling work to the subject of disenfranchised fathers and the impact on children and society. His focus, as stated, is to examine divorced fathers in great detail - as opposed to never-wed or unknown dads. With a wealth of statistics, he systematically overturns the conventional wisdom on key issues ranging from child support and "deadbeat dads" to joint custody. Rather than avoiding them, he admirably tackles the toughest issues - including an analysis of Jeffrey Nichols ("King of the deadbeat dads")and a detailed review of domestic violence. With his academic background, the book reads much like well written treatise that would survive a tough "peer review". However, it is far from dry but rather filled with topical anecdotes and perfect illustrations of the points he makes. I highly recommend this book. I'd also recommend David Popenoe's "Life without Father" for a further description of the impact of fatherlessness on our society through the children of the last generation.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Todd Bottom

Best Overview of Divorced Dads' Experiences On The Market

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

As an academic researcher of divorced fathers' experiences and outcomes, I'm overwhelmingly convinced that Braver's book provides the best understanding of these issues. It's packed with research evidence, yet eloquently written for the lay reader.

The perfect read for divorced dads and their supporters, and for anyone who wants to more fully understand how academics, the media, and the system continue to feed negative stereotypes of fathers. In the past few years I've bought a copy for myself and several more to give away.

Buy your self 3 copies now to avoid coming back for more in a few months after you've read it. Then send one to your legislators or anyone in you local media who report these myths as true.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Violet Weed

Mythological Bull written to destroy single-parent homes

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 8, 2000

As a systems integration developer who's worked on several Deadbeat Dads projects for various state's soc. services, I can tell you that it is NOT a 'myth' that it is the DIVORCED DADS who abandon their responsibility to their children! Why do you think they don't call it 'deadbeat MOMS'? This book was written by folks intending to subvert the best interests of the children of divorce AND to help destroy single-parent families by ridiculing their need for the legislation currently in force to protect their needs. I think it was VERY shameful for John Stossl to give these irresponsible folks air-time on 20/20... disgusting! If Stossl wants to know what's REALLY going on, why doesn't he talk to the Deadbeat Dads social services folks or the police who enforce the child support laws, instead of listening to these nincompoops. Don't waste your money on THIS pile of manure!
Aunty-Violet

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Anursprak Tishna

A real eye opener

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 14, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is an amazing story that has to be heard to believed. Sanford Braver explains how real science and real data changed the way he felt about divorced dads -- read this book, and you will, too.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mike Gibbs

Excellent book! A must read for sure

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent book! A must read for sure!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

D. Liston

bias editorial reviews above are crap

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 30, 2009

I would like to point out the two top editorial reviews are from liberal publications and clearly bias with negative in tone and basically full of crap. There should be a little balance there...what gives Amazon?
Ive seen this before with other conservative books. Always the same snotty Lefty "professional" book reviewers like Kirkus

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

James MD R

Hope for children

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book sheds light on a dark and murky subject, an oftentimes proverbial elephant in the room: the misperception of 'irrelevance of fatherhood' in particular of unmarried fathers.

It should be mandatory reading for anyone granted with power to influence the fate of fatherhood.

navigator1965

One way to tell if a book is good is if feminists attack it

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

Divorced Dads is a magnificent work that thoroughly refutes the ideological feminist propaganda of there being a systemic problem with "deadbeat" dads. One way to tell if a book is good is if feminists attack it, which "Aunty Violet" appears to have done.

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Divorced Dads Hardcover – September 28, 1998

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