Translating Discovery Science.Variation in Facilitator Characteristics in Ethno‐Racial Minority Fatherhood Program Outcomes and Processes: A Translational Science Brief Report

• Published date: 01 December 2020
• Author: Anthony James,Roudi Roy,Tiffany L. Brown,Donovan R. Roy,Sheldon Smith,Nancy Dayne
• Date: 01 December 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12512

A JMiami University

R R T L. BCalifornia State University Long Beach

D R. RWestern Michigan University

S SLoma Linda University

N DCalifornia State University Long Beach

Translating Discovery Science.

Variation in Facilitator Characteristics in

Ethno-Racial Minority Fatherhood Program

Outcomes and Processes: A Translational Science

Brief Report

Objective: Investigation of whether the charac-

teristics (i.e., gender especially) of fatherhood

programfacilitators inuence dynamics in group

sessions and program outcomes.

Background: Withinthe past decade, policy ini-

tiatives have spurred an increase in fatherhood

programs. As a result,empirically examining the

factors that support effective programming is

essential. Previous research highlights program

facilitator characteristics as one of these factors

but facilitator gender is one characteristic that

needs more attention.

Methods: This study used data from six

focus groups conducted with 40 fathers and

one-on-one interviews with ve fatherhood

Department of Family Science and Social Work,Miami Uni-

versity, 110B McGuffeyHall, 210 E. Spring Street, Oxford,

OH 45056 (anthony.g.james@miamioh.edu).

Key Words: facilitator characteristics, group process, man-

hood, masculinity, support systems.

program group facilitators in a western U.S.

urban community.

Results: Our ndings revealed that fathers care

deeply about learning how to be better fathers

and that having female facilitators lead pro-

gram sessions can promote qualitatively differ-

ent skills in fathers relative to male facilitators.

Results also lend support to program structures

where male and female facilitators colead group

sessions together.

Conclusions: The characteristics of the session

facilitator can change both the dynamics of the

conversations in the session and the nature of

the skills that are produced among participating

fathers.

Implications: Fatherhood program adminis-

trators may want to think critically not only

about what content they want to deliver in their

programs but also about the characteristics of

the facilitator(s) delivering the content and how

the latter can potentially inuence program

outcomes.

956Family Relations 69 (December 2020): 956–966

DOI:10.1111/fare.12512