Divorced Fathers

Bias and accuracy, in government reports, social science research and the mass media

Purpose: Students will examine media articles, government statistical reports, newspaper and magazine articles, feminist and objective research claims, on divorced fathers. Students will examine the laws, myths and realities, which define the lives of divorced fathers, their children, their ex-wives, and society.

Due Date: The first class in the second week of March or November. Two classes of essential lectures will be offered on this topic. Allow at least three weeks for reading and writing, and consultation with the teacher.

Size: Maximum 2000 words, not counting quotations. Mark Value: 25%,

Regulations: Reports must be: 1. Legible, preferably computer word-processed, or legibly hand-written, and stapled together. 2. Write on the right side of the page. Number all pages sequentially. 3. Remove all errors completely. Include a title page, a table of contents, introduction, conclusion and a bibliography. 4. Write in grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. 5. Photocopies of your highlighted media articles should be mounted on the left page opposite your analysis of the article, with the quotations numbered or lettered sequentially. 6. Identify every article and quotation with its author, title, source, date, page, and place. 7. Articles must be photocopied legibly, without extraneous other articles. Articles longer than one page should open as centerfolds. 8. List your report word total in the table of contents. Over - length reports will be marked to a higher mark standard. 9. Include the instruction sheet for the term paper or report as the last page. That sheet will be checked for each instruction followed or omitted. 10. Late assignments will loose 10% for up to one week late. Later reports will not be accepted without an approved absence form from the school medical officer or registrar. 11. Follow the "Regulations for Term Papers and Reports," in the front of this package. 12. Instructions in "How to Detect Bias in the Print Mass Media" by J. Asher offer a useful guide for all reports. 13. Examine the sample papers available from the teacher as models for your report.

Students who consult in small groups may earn higher marks. Your teacher will schedule library classes to help students learn research skills. Students will need about $5 in change for the photocopiers. Make photocopies of your table for practice, before filling the final copies. Do not hesitate to ask the librarians for help. Please thank them. Do not write in or mark the index volumes.

Required Sources

1. Divorced Dads by Stanford Braver Tarcher - Putnam 1998

2. Ceasefire by Cathy Young Free Press 1999 Chapters 2, 8, 9

Both books are available on reserve in the library and for sale in the Dawson and other book stores.

3. Five articles from magazines or newspapers from 1970 to 2000 on divorced fathers, according to instructions listed below.

Include in all of your answers the most accurate statistical data available from the sources assigned to you, the Statistics Canada section in the library, and the Internet. Distinguish between American and Canadian data. In these instructions, divorced fathers are referred to as DF. The number of the question indicates the number of the chapter in "Divorced Dads"..

B. Questions on "Divorced Dads - Shattering the Myths" and "Ceasefire"

1. What percentage of marriages will end in divorce, according to Statistics Canada, for Canada, and for Québec?

2. Do 'deadbeat dads' impoverish families, and add to the state debt? What sources provided data on DF, previously, and recently? What are the reasons for DF not paying money to their ex-wives? What have been the success of laws to recoup this money?

3. What are the reasons for fathers staying in contact, or losing contact with their children after divorce? What is the role of divorced mothers in maintaining or interfering in the contact of divorced children with their fathers?

4. Explain the financial and material consequences of divorce on the standards of living of fathers, mothers, and children; immediately after divorce, and five or more years later. Explain the practical and moral obligation for DF to continue to financially support their ex-wives, for many years, and after remarriage of one or both ex-spouses. Ceasefire: 204 - 210

5. Explain mothers' and fathers' satisfaction with the law about divorce, and custody and financial support obligations.

6. Explain the emotional consequences of divorce on fathers, mothers, and children. Which parent is more likely to initiate divorce, or attempt to repair the marriage, and why? Ceasefire: 199 - 204, 210 - 212,

7. Explain the major reasons why marriages fail, and which parent will gain from divorce.

8. Why do some DF abandon contact with their children? What is the role of joint custody for maintaining contact between fathers and children? What damage is done by false accusations of child abuse? Ceasefire: 212 - 219

11. Explain "custody policies that work." Offer at least three recommendations to prevent divorce. Ceasefire: 269 - 271

... 2

Divorced Dads Term paper instructions page 2

Analysis of Articles

1. Examine at least three of the following articles, and two of the letters on divorced fathers, since 1970; for evidence, objectivity, and bias. "Divorced Dads" and "Ceasefire' may be taken as accurate sources of information to compare with the claims made in the media articles you examine. Explain the correct and incorrect information, in addition to unsupported claims, bias and prejudice that you find in each article.

Newspaper articles and letters, on reserve in the Dawson library:

Articles by Donna Laframboise in the National Post on divorced fathers, 2000:

"Pilloried, broke, and alone," and "Anti-male bias ...," March 23 A1

"This is madness," and "Second wives club," March 24, B1

"This is about punishing dad," March 25, B1

"How to end the war against divorced dads," opposite-editorial page, March 25

Letters to the Editor of The National Post:

"Divorced dads can't win," March 28; "Jobless wives," March 29; "Divorced dads, "March 27;

"There oughta be a law, "March 30; "Dadlessness, "March 31

Montreal Gazette: "Father's suicide ..." March 27, A8

The Globe and Mail: "The pain behind a suicide," April 8, A3

2. Students are required to examine five more articles on divorced fathers, since 1970, from the table list below; according to the same instructions in #2, above.

3. Compare the first, middle and last years of the first index assigned to you, for the the count of articles on divorced fathers, divorced dads, divorce, fathers, deadbeat dads, etc., compared to at least two topics on divorced mothers, as shown in the sample table below. Just count the articles - do not read them.

Research Indexes: Assigned by family name first letter. Select ten articles, for your assigned years, five from each index, no more than two articles for any one year. Students may choose any source for any year. These indexes are available in paper volumes at Dawson from 1970 to 1995, and in other libraries from 1890 to 1999.

D. Research Topics:

Year and Research Index assignment by Family name

Family Initial	Years for Research one article per year at least	First Research Index choose five articles	Second Research Index choose five articles
A to F	1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994	Canadian [News] Index	Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (RGPL)
G to L	1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995	Humanities Index	Social Science Index
M to R	1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996	Canadian Periodicals Index	Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (RGPL)
S to Z	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997	New York Times Index	Social Science Index

Comparative Article Count per Topic

From one Index for three years. Index title for this table .............................................

Father topics	year 1 .........	year 2 ........	year 3 ........	year 1 ........	year 2 ........	year 3 ........	Mother topics
divorce							divorce
divorced fathers							divorced mothers
deadbeat dads							........
single fathers							single mothers
...							...
....							...

July 9, 2001

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