Doing the Best I Can: Fatherhood in the Inner City

GUESTS: KATHRYN EDIN & TIMOTHY J. NELSON

Economic uncertainty affects the well-being of children, especially if they are raised by a single parent living along the poverty line. Sociologists KATHRYN EDIN and TIMOTHY J. NELSON have spent over 10 years interviewed over 100 unwed fathers in Philadelphia and Camden, including moving to East Camden for a year in the mid-90s to deepen their research. The sociologists are trying to help change the perception of these men as “deadbeat dads” – these men do care about their children and are doing the best they can within the limitations of their circumstances. We’ll find out what our guests, a married couple, have found, including how many of the fathers they interviewed saw their children as saviors and redeemers in their lives. Edin and Nelson’s new book is, “Doing the Best I Can: Fatherhood in the Inner City.”