Session: Mapping Excluded Fatherhoods: A Historical Synthesis of Fathering Theories and Conceptualizing Child Involvement (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Background and Purpose: Decades of research show that fathers positively contribute to children's healthy development and well-being (Diniz et al., 2021; Lamb, 2010). However, a comprehensive synthesis of fatherhood theories and research--especially that involving structural aspects of fatherhood such as child support and child welfare systems involvement--is still missing, limiting our understanding of how fatherhood and its multidimensional constructs have been mapped out theoretically and empirically across time. There is a critical need to understand the history of fatherhood theories and research to inform practitioners and policymakers about best practices to support fathering, which ultimately benefits children and their well-being. Thus, the current symposium theme is the historical synthesis of fatherhood theories and research to map out the past, present, and future of fathering. Specifically, it brings together three scoping reviews guided by the PRISMA protocol (Tricco et al., 2018) to explore how fatherhood is constructed through dominant theoretical paradigms, policy-linked discourses such as child support, and system-involved narratives around child maltreatment risk and protection.

Methods: The three presentations are complementary in their focus and data sources. The first study identified and synthesized fatherhood theory papers published between 1960 and 2024 to examine how studies portray "good fathers." The second study focused on non-resident fathers' child support studies published between 1975 and 2024 to examine whether such studies applied fatherhood theories. The third study systematically mapped all available research evidence concerning how non-resident fathers serve as either risk factors of or protective factors against child maltreatment.

Results: The first study found a total of 25 studies, with most fatherhood theories including engagement dimensions (e.g., caregiving, play) of father-child relationships and fathering identities, suggesting that a "good father" is likely engaged in interactive activities with their children while possessing a strong sense of paternal identity. The second study identified 19 relevant child support studies, most of which were not grounded in fatherhood theories; instead, economic frameworks were used most frequently to explain fathers' child support as financial investment or transaction. The third study found a total of 23 studies and showed that non-resident fathers' inconsistent involvement with their children and past histories (e.g., trauma) served as risk factors, whereas frequent contact with children and consistent financial support served as protective factors against child maltreatment.

Conclusion and Implications: This symposium fits well with the SSWR 2026 conference theme of Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice because it speaks to the visionary leadership social work has in shaping fatherhood theories and research that directly inform practice and policies impacting men, children, and families. Key contributions of the symposium include critical reflection on (1) the role of social work leading transformative change in fatherhood theory and research; (2) how theoretical frameworks and structural narrative shape fatherhood; and (3) actionable solutions to better align fatherhood research in social work with practice and policy, with an emphasis on concrete efforts to disseminate empirical evidence to fatherhood and family practitioners and policymakers.