SU to present conference on understanding immigrant fathers in North America Oct. 27-28

SU to present conference on understanding immigrant fathers in North America Oct. 27-28September 27, 2005Carol K. Masiclatclkim@syr.edu

To share their research findings on immigrant fathers, and to engage in conversation about the influence of immigrant fathers in North American families, the Department of Child and Family Studies in Syracuse University’s College of Human Services and Health Professions (HSHP) will host “On New Shores: Understanding Immigrant Fathers in North America,” Oct. 27-28, at the Genesee Grande Hotel in Syracuse. Leading researchers in the fields of family studies, demography, sociology and developmental psychology will discuss the rapidly growing body of research into the role and impact of immigrant fathers in North American society.

Child and Family Studies department chair Robert Moreno and faculty members Susan Chuang and Jaipaul Roopnarine organized the conference to assemble some of the top researchers in this emerging field. The objectives of the conference are to: provide a venue for researchers from a variety of disciplines to critically examine the current understanding of immigrant fathers; discuss immigrant fathers’ challenges and the impact on child development; identify conceptual, methodological and analytical issues and the relevance across multi-ethnic fathering; and propose directions for future research on immigrant fathers.

“Researchers have reported that positive father involvement has beneficial effects on child development. Unfortunately, most of the research on fathering is limited to Euro-American families,” says Chuang. “With the increasing population of immigrant families in Canada and the United States, it becomes imperative for researchers as well as social policymakers to understand the cultural context of fathering and its unique impact on their children’s lives.”

Latinos are the fastest growing minority in the United States today, followed by Asians. Chuang’s decision to research this area was influenced by her own experience as a child of an immigrant father. At the conference, Chuang will present her research on Chinese immigrants fathers and their 1-year-old children.

Another scheduled participant is Michael E. Lamb, professor at Cambridge University and an authority in the study of fathers. Widely regarded as a pioneer in the field, Lamb will present current concepts and understandings of fatherhood in his lecture, “The Many Faces of Fatherhood.”

Special rates are available for conference attendees at the Genesee Grande hotel, which can be reached by calling (800) 365-4663 orvisiting http://www.geneseegrande.com.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of Child and Family Studies, HSHP and the Office of Research.

For more information, call (315) 443-2757,e-mail jmkenyon@syr.edu orvisit http://hshp.syr.edu/schools/cfs/news.asp?id=256.