Roney Srour

Father Involvement and Paternal Sensitivity in the Palestinian Society: Fathering, Preschoolers' Well Being and Traditional Family Life Style Roney Srour

This work is about several manners related to Fathering in the Palestinian society. It describes a study that examines socio-demographical factors that are related to fathers' sensitivity and involvement in child rearing; it also examines the association between fathers' sensitivity and involvement, and their children's behavioral problems. The sample was comprised of 84 Arab Palestinian Jerusalemite preschoolers and thier families. The data was collected via questionnaires and videotaping of father-child play interaction. This study demonstrated novel empirical results of especial importance, observed paternal sensitivity moderated the association between father involvement measures and child outcome. In addition, traditional family life style measures were related not only to the quantity and quality of father involvement but also to the relation between fathering and child outcome. Such findings emphasize the importance of integrating cultural related factors in the field of fathering, and also the importance of separating out the measurement of quantity and quality of father involvement in assessing fathers' contribution to their children's development.