Essential Dads

In<I> Essential Dads</I>, sociologist Jennifer Randles shares the stories of more than 60 marginalized men as they sought to become more engaged parents through a government-supported &ldquo;responsible&rdquo; fatherhood program. Dads&rsquo; experiences serve as a unique window into long-standing controversies about the importance of fathering, its connection to inequality, and the state&rsquo;s role in shaping men&rsquo;s parenting. With a compassionate and hopeful voice, Randles proposes a more equitable political agenda for fatherhood, one that carefully considers the social and economic factors shaping men&rsquo;s abilities to be involved in their children&rsquo;s lives and the ideologies that rationalize the necessity of that involvement.<BR /> &#160;