Father Presence Matters: A Case for Family - Term Paper Example

?SUMMARY The of this critique is a study conducted by Marcia Miles, en d Father Presence Matters: A Case for Family. The research was undertaken in order to highlight the role that fathers play in the achievement of an ideal family as well as in the ideal growth and development of children today. For this purpose, the researcher developed several observable programs in order to demonstrate the effects of fatherless families and children. It was emphasized that the ultimate goal was to reconnect or help foster good relationship between father and children. Study Characteristics From the outset, it has been emphasized that the research will use the qualitative method of investigation. To this end, three specific mechanisms were devised - a 12-week curriculum training, a 12-day Twelve-Step component and a 12-month mentorship – all combined to develop a framework by which new father-child relationship dynamics could be advanced. These programs were also used to collect data and observe behavior, which formed a crucial part in the study’s findings. And so, essentially, the research can be considered as a participatory action research wherein Miles reflected on the observed data from a contrived research setting in order to identify specific social problems and promotes solutions based from the knowledge collected. It is, hence, not surprising to find several qualitative research elements present: an emphasis in the Literature Review, Case Studies, a type of focus-group interview and several observational strategies set in the previously mentioned programs. The study can also be considered as an experimental research due to the intervention programs it introduced in the study. By having research participants undergo several trainings, it aimed to achieve changes in relationships. Participants to the study were identified as those belonging to fatherless families in a three generational case study, wherein mother and children in each generation were interviewed either in written or oral setting. The main finding of the study is that fathers are crucial in families. Their roles are critical in the outcome of the lives of their children. The investigation on three generation-families underscored this. A significant part of the research’s position is the findings and suggestions of the body of literature on the subject. It confirmed the researcher’s observation that “father presence matters.” This aspect has been interpreted systematically. A graph was provided during the course of the literature review that identified behavioral and attitude patterns of fatherless families and fatherless children. The conclusion arrived at, was more of a solution to the problem. A framework was drafted, finally taking the form of a training curriculum for father and parents, in consideration of the fact that parenting style that is involves both parents and is child-centered promotes the ideal welfare of children. CRITIQUE In general, Miles’ study is an amalgamation of several objectives and several methods, involving a wide range of research participants. The presence of these numerous and diverse elements rendered the entire work chaotic and without any clear direction. Unfortunately, this variable has adversely compromised the important elements that make a good research and produce credible research outcomes. Some of these are explained in the following section. As has been pointed out earlier, the study is qualitative and nature. Hence, the researcher was correct in employing techniques such as interviews, case studies and intervention mechanisms in order to collect data. The problem, however, is cohesion. The methods used seemed to function independently, never complimenting the others. Ideally, an element should be able to corroborate points and facts and address issues and challenges that cannot be covered by other elements. The way the methods were employed, though appropriate, rendered the entire investigation a patchwork of strategies that yielded a patchwork of data. The researcher could have addressed this problem and improved on the study by properly structuring the entire study. For example, the Literature Review was not a specific section and instead, the data from secondary sources were spread across the Introduction, Chapter II and III. As a result, the researcher was not able to identify a strong research hypothesis, which made the paper in danger of repeating what others have already investigated and said in the past or failing to adequately emphasize important contributions to the field. In addition, this presentation of the extant literature also muddled the way the primary data were presented. It is also important to note that that the explanation of the sampling design was vague. All that was provided was that the respondents were part of three generational fatherless families. There are no explanations how the research participants were selected. There was no clear and complete description of site, participants and researcher’s credentials. In addition, the, number and demographics were also not properly cited. Threats to the validity of the research are present both internally and externally. The paper’s structure has convoluted what the research was all about, as has been cited earlier. There are so many data presented. It also appeared – based on the objectives initially set out – that important data that should have formed part of the discussion and analysis of data were included in the last part of Chapter I. Or, similar points and facts should have been provided in the main chapters. There seemed to be no dividing line between the research elements, making it difficult to make sense of meanings. By looking at the sheer amount of data, it is clear that the researcher was able to amass a wealth of information. However, she failed to present these clearly and credibly. For example, the survey results should have included a scientific analysis, replete with discussions, statistics and measurements. It appears that the study only presented raw data, by providing questions and their corresponding answers. The study’s objectives were clear and the researcher has promptly identified a framework and an effective strategy to achieve them. The problem in the research process lies in the provision of details and the way they were analyzed, discussed and organized. In the end, the reader is not left deciding whether those that were investigated and reported were credible. Rather, the reader is left to wonder what everything is all about. Yes, fatherless families, as evidenced by the corpus of literature, are tragic. But what does the researcher had to say about it based on her investigations? Read More