Alan W. Dowd

In the following viewpoint, Alan W. Dowd challenges a study by Louise Silverstein and Carl Auerbach that suggests that fathers may be unnecessary to a child’s well-being. Dowd contends that fathers provide a unique role model that is essential to children’s health. Dowd maintains that fatherless children do worse in school and engage in more criminal activity than children with fathers at home, and he concludes that government should do more to encourage fathers to accept their parental responsibilities. Dowd is a freelance writer and a former associate editor of the American Legion magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. As cited by Dowd, what are three conclusions about families reached by Silverstein and Auerbach?
2. What does the National Fatherhood Initiative suggest is today’s most powerful cultural...