Generative fatherhood and children’s future civic engagement: A conceptual model of the relationship between paternal engagement and child’s developing prosocial skills

ABSTRACT

Socio-emotional readiness for civic activities is necessary for young children emerging from their infant-toddler years. Cognitive skills and emotional regulation are essential to learning about one’s society and one’s role in society-at-large. When mothers and fathers are consistently emotionally present in the lives of their children, the children demonstrate prosocial outcomes in cognition, emotional regulation and social behaviors to promote socio-emotional readiness for civic activities or civic readiness. In particular, the presence of one’s father satisfies affiliative needs as the father serves as more a socializer of child to society-at-large. Generative fathering emerges from the concept of “emotional paternity.” When fathers (birth, childrearing or cultural) are physically and emotionally present in the lives of the children on a consistent basis, children are able to demonstrate prosocial outcomes such as higher cognition, increased emotional regulation and improved social behavior. The purpose of this article is to provide a conceptual model on the relationship between paternal engagement in child-focused activities and a young child’s early presentation of prosocial behaviors that serve as building blocks to one’s future civic engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Paternal involvement
• early childhood
• civic engagement
• father-child interaction
• child cognition