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JensenAckles
MissHernandez
AmericanLiterature5
1March2015
ResearchQuestion:Howdoesparentinvolvementpositivelyandnegativelyaffectthesuccessof
children?
Langa,Malose."MeaningMakinginGrowingUpWithoutaFather:NarrativesofYoung
AdolescentBoys."
OpenFamilyStudiesJournal
6.1(2014):5661.
Inthisstudytherearefirsthandaccountsofyoungmentryingtonavigatetheirlives
withoutabiologicalfatherfigure.Theconditionsstatedregardingtheirabsencearedeath,
absentwithoccasionalcontact,absentwithregularcontactorabsentwithnocontactatall(56).
Someboysinthisstudy
constructedpositivemaleidentities,despitethelackoffatherfiguresintheirlives.These
findingschallengethesimplisticassumptionthattheabsenceoffatherswillnecessarilyresultin
maladjustment.Arangeofinternalandexternalfactorscanhelpadolescentboysdevelopa
positivemasculineidentity,despitesuchcircumstances(57).Quoteslikethesesuggestthatthis
studyistargetingtheideathatteenageboyswithamissingfathercanmakegoodchoicesthatare
notrisky,violentorsexist(56)andthatsanunfairassumptiontobelievethatboyswithno
fatherswillturnoutpoorly.
Anotherthingthearticlementionedisthedesireforparticipantstoknowabouttheir
fathers.Somewentthroughturmoilregardingwhetherornottokeeptheirfathersnamesortheir
mothers.Afewhadissueswithheritageandidentity(57).Manyboysalsohadissueswith

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idealizingtheirfathers,eveniftherewasevidencetosuggestthefatherwasadestructiveforce
(58).
Ithinkthatthisarticleisfromareliablesourcesinceitsfromascholarlyjournalthatis
publishedperiodically.Alsothisstudywasdoneinthelasttwoyearswhichmeansitshouldstill
befairlyrecentandmeaningful.TheonlyissueIreallyhaveisthatthisarticleseemstobebased
mostlyoninterviewsandpeoplesopinions.Itdoesn'thavemuchinthewayofnumbers.Ithink
thatnumberswouldhavemadethisamorecrediblesource.
Ithinkthatthisarticlewouldbegoodintryingtoestablishapathosbasedarguement.IfI
wantmyreadertofeelsomesympathyforboyswhogrowupwithnofather,Ithinkthathaving
theboysownwordswouldreallybethebestthing.IthinkthatfromherethoughIneedtofind
somethingwithmorecomplexnumbertosupportmystance.

"Success."MerriamWebster.com.MerriamWebster,n.d.Web.27Feb.2015.
:thefactofgettingorachievingwealth,respect,orfame
:thecorrectordesiredresultofanattempt
:someoneorsomethingthatissuccessful:apersonorthingthatsucceeds

Wilcox,W.Bradford.DadandtheDiploma:TheDifferenceFathersMakeforCollege
Graduation.
AIEPolicyBrief
.AmericanEnterpriseInstitute,22April2014.Web.28
Feb,2015.
Thisarticlediscusseshowafatherslevelofinvolvementcanimpactayoungadults
chancesoffinishingcollege.Thisarticlealsofactoredinhoweducatedthechildsmotheris.In

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onegraphitdiscussedthatifyourmotherwasacollegegraduate,butyourfatherisnotinvolved
inyourlife,youonlyhavea40%chanceoffinishingcollege.Furthermore,ifyourmotherisa
highschooldropoutandyourfatherisoutofthepictureaswellyouonlyhavea8%chanceof
finishingcollege.Thearticlealsodiscussedfamilystructureissues.Soifyourparentswere
togetherandyourmotherhadacollegeeducationyouwere70%morelikelytofinishcollege,
butifyourfamilyisasingleparenthouseholdandyourmotherdroppedoutofhighschool,your
chancesdropto24%.
Comparedtoteenswhoreportedthattheirfatherswerenotinvolved,teenswith
involvedfatherswere98percentmorelikelytograduatefromcollege,andteenswithvery
involvedfatherswere105percentmorelikelytograduatefromcollege
Likewise,aUSDepartmentofEducationstudyfoundthatamongchildrenlivingwith
bothbiologicalparents,thosewithhighlyinvolvedfatherswere42percentmorelikelytoearn
Asand33percentlesslikelytobeheldbackayearinschoolthanchildrenwhosedadshadlow
levelsofinvolvement.
Ithinkisarticleisagreatsource.Themanthatwroteitisaprofessorofsociologyatthe
UniversityofVirginiaandheworksinattheInstituteforFamilyStudies.Heisalsothedirector
oftheHomeEconomicsProject.TheHomeEconomicProjectisaprojectmeanttostudyhow
familygroupscanimpacteconomics.Ithinkthisallshowsthatthispersonprobablyhasalotof
experiencedealingwiththiskindofinformationandhadalotofexperienceinthefield.AlsoI
thinkthisisacrediblesourcebecauseofhisbackground.
Ithinkthisisagreatnumberheavyarticle,butitdoesntreallytalkabouthowtheycame
upwiththenumbers.Ithinkthatitwouldalsobegoodtousebecauseitdiscusseshowgirlscan

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beeffectedbythelackoffathers,andittalksabouthowmotherseducationisimportant.Ithink
thatperhapsformhereIshouldlookintomoreinformationaboutmotherseducation.