I Get by with a Little Help from Others: Social Capital and Nonresident Fathers’ Involvement with Their Biological Children

Robin S. Hognas, University of Louisville

The rise in nonmarital childbearing has been accompanied by greater family instability and non-resident fatherhood. In fact, the majority of children born to unmarried parents in the U.S. will live apart from their father by age 5. Children benefit when their biological fathers are positively involved in their lives, but nonresident fathers tend to be less involved than resident fathers. Nonresident fathers are also more likely to be disadvantaged compared to resident fathers, and these social contexts may introduce barriers to father involvement net of relationships with mothers. In this paper, we will draw on social capital theory to examine predictors of access to social capital among nonresident fathers and the pathways (i.e., mechanisms) by which nonresident fathers’ access to social capital is linked to their involvement with their children. Preliminary analyses suggest that social capital is significantly associated with nonresident fathers’ involvement with their children.