PATERNAL DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY SYSTEMS

Viewpoint of Life-span Perspective

Abstract

The present article is intended to provide an overview on paternal involvements with children, and the impacts on fathers'own selves.Until now the majority of developmentalists in Japan often disregarded paternal influences on children.A large number of studies on parent-child relationships have been achieved especially on the nature of mother-child relationships.Still the researches on fatherhood and father-child interaction were very few. On the other hand it had become increasingly important to understand the families as social systems in European and American researchers, because family members: mothers, fathers and children, reciprocally exercise a direct and indirect influence. In recent years cultural images of fathers have been the nurturant or caring fathers, while fathers as well as children continue to develop.