Experimental boys also had higher expectations for advanced education and higher occupational aspirations than did their control counterparts. There were no corresponding program effects for girls. For a copy of the complete working paper, visit the The Joint Center on Poverty web site. Developing Attitudes and Skills for Male Nurturance, Mark Perlman, MA 1998. The following statement by the author describes the content of this program.
Men do have the capacity to nurture.
We see it in our culture today. And as we notice these nurturing interactions, we feel a sense of warmth and security, just as the child must feel when interacting with a nurturing father. Whether nurturing comes easy to us, or we want to nurture but find it difficult, any man can learn to be a more nurturing father. A new program called The Nurturing Father's Program helps men develop nurturing attitudes and skills. The facilitators use a curriculum to guide the group in discussions, activities, games and experiences that allow the group members to choose to adopt nurturing behaviors.