A World Without Fathers

Table of Contents

In Essence

"Alternative Politics" by Michael Kazin, in Dissent (Winter 1996), 521 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017.

"The Strange Disappearance of Civic America" by Robert D. Putnam, in The American Prospect (Winter 1996), P.O. Box 383080, Cambridge, Mass. 02238; "Tuning in, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America" by Robert D. Putnam, in PS: Political Science & Politics (Dec. 1995), American Political Science Assn., 1527 New Hampshire Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

"Why We Need a Religious Left" by Amy Waldman, in The Washington Monthly (Dec. 1995), 1611 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009.

"Foreign Policy as Social Work" by Michael Mandelbaum, in Foreign Affairs (Jan.–Feb. 1996); "In Defense of Mother Teresa: Morality in Foreign Policy" by Stanley Hoffmann, in Foreign Affairs (Mar.–Apr. 1996), 58 E. 68th St., New York, N.Y.

"Early Isolationism Revisited: Neutrality and Beyond in the 1790s" by Marie-Jeanne Rossignol, in Journal of American Studies (Aug. 1995), Cambridge Univ. Press, Journals Dept., 40 W. 20th St., New York, N.Y. 10011–4211.

"Trends in Unemployment Insurance Benefits" by Daniel P. McMurrer and Amy B. Chasanov, in Monthly Labor Review (Sept. 1995), Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

"The Origins of Modern Management Consulting" by Christopher D. McKenna, in Business and Economic History (Fall 1995), Dept. of Economics, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23187.

"Measuring Inflation in a High-Tech Age" by Leonard I. Nakamura, in Business Review (Nov.–Dec. 1995), Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Dept. of Research and Statistics, 10 Independence Mall, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106–1574.

"Scholarships: Need or Merit?" by Herschel Grossman, in Cato Journal (Winter 1995), Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001–5403.

"Women-Only Colleges" by Mikyong Kim and Rodolfo Alvarez, in The Journal of Higher Education (Nov.–Dec. 1995), Ohio State University Press, 1070 Carmack Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43210.

"The Effect of Employment and Training Programs on Entry and Exit from the Welfare Caseload" by Robert A. Moffitt, in Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (Winter 1996), Univ. of Pennsylvania, 3620 Locust Walk, Ste. 3100, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104-6372.

"From the Citizen Up" by Mark Jurkowitz, in Forbes MediaCritic (Winter 1996), P.O. Box 762, Bedminster, N.J. 07921.

"The TV Tabs’ New Tone" by Frank Houston, in Columbia Journalism Review (Jan.-Feb. 1996), 700 Journalism Bldg., Columbia University, New York, N.Y. 10027.

"The Strange Fate of Czech Utraquism: The Second Century, 1517–1621" by Zdenek V. David, in The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (Oct. 1995), Robinson College, Cambridge University CB3 9AN England.

"The Strange Fate of Czech Utraquism: The Second Century, 1517–1621" by Zdenek V. David, in The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (Oct. 1995), Robinson College, Cambridge University CB3 9AN England.

"Reinterpreting the Crusades: Religious Warriors" by Jonathan Riley-Smith, in The Economist (Dec. 23, 1995–Jan. 5, 1996), 25 St. James’s St., London SW1A 1HG, England.

"Whatever Happened to Industrial Waste?: Reform, Compromise, and Science in Nineteenth Century Southern New England" by John T. Cumbler, in Journal of Social History (Fall 1995), Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213.

"Natural-Born Mothers" by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, in Natural History (Dec. 1995), American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, N.Y. 10024.

"Presiding Genius" by Peter Richards, in CAM (Michaelmas Term, 1995), Univ. of Cambridge Development Office, 10 Trumpington St., Cambridge, England CB2 1QA.

"The Author as a Brand Name: American Literary Figures and the Time Cover Story" by Joe Moran, in Journal of American Studies (Dec. 1995), Cambridge Univ. Press, Journals Dept., 40 W. 20th St., New York, N.Y. 10011–4211.

"Truth in Labeling" by Gary Schwartz, in Art in America (Dec. 1995), 575 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012.

"Richard Rorty Lays Down the Law" by Leon Surette, in Philosophy and Literature (Oct. 1995), Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Journals Division, 2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Md. 21218–4319.

"Packaging Islam: Cultural Politics on the Landscape of Turkish Commercial Television" by Ayse Öncü, in Public Culture (Fall 1995), 124 Wieboldt Hall, Univ. of Chicago, 1010 E. 59th St., Chicago, Ill. 60637.

"Cambodia’s Fading Hopes" by Julio A. Jeldres, in Journal of Democracy (Jan. 1996), 1101 15th St. N.W., Ste. 802, Washington, D.C. 20005.

"Forced Labour under Stalin: The Archive Revelations" by R. W. Davies, in New Left Review (Nov.–Dec. 1995), 6 Meard St., London, England W1V 3HR.

Book Reviews

THE DIARIES OF DAWN POWELL 1931-1965 By Dawn powell. Edited and with a introduction by Tim Page. Steerforth. 513 pp. $32

Mary R. Lefkowitz and Guy MacLean Rogers, eds. Univ. of North Carolina Press. 544 pp. $55 cloth, $19.95 paper

Essays

The decline of fatherhood is one of the most basic, unexpected, and extraordinary social trends of our time. Its dimensions can be captured in a single statistic: in just three decades, between 1960 and 1990, the percentage of children living apart from their biological fathers more than doubled, from 17 percent to 36 percent. By the turn of the century, nearly 50 percent of American children may be going to sleep each evening without being able to say good night to their dads.

David Popenoe

Much of our contemporary debate over fatherhood is governed by the assumption that men can solve the fatherhood problem on their own. The organizers of last year’s Million Man March asked women to stay home, and the leaders of Promise Keepers and other grassroots fatherhood movements whose members gather with considerably less fanfare simply do not admit women.

Barbara Dafoe Whitehead

In 1996, John Barth calmly and correctly explained why the novel would survive the coming of hypertext and other digital challenges.

John Barth

Nowhere in the world has the dream of reason been pursued quite so vigorously as in the Kingdom of Sweden. Under Social Democratic leadership, this Scandinavian country became famous around the world for its humane "Middle Way." Swedes believed that their distinctive "Swedish model," with its massive welfare state, its near-full employment, and its lofty egalitarianism, provided at least a glimpse of what a rationally constructed utopia might be. In recent years, however, the Swedish model has developed serious problems, and Swedes have begun to ponder some profoundly unsettling questions—questions about who they are and where they are headed. Our author takes us to post-utopian Sweden.

Gordon F. Sander

A century and a half after it began, the Mexican War has become a footnote to American history. When not forgotten, it has been misinterpreted—as America’s first imperial venture or its first unpopular war. The truth about the conflict, and its effect on the nation, is far more interesting.

Robert W. Johannsen

"Civil society" has become the talisman of the post–Cold War era, invoked by everybody from Vaclav Havel to Patrick Buchanan. While associations and volunteer groups are indeed essential to a society’s health, our author reminds us that a civilized society cannot exist without the civilizing authority of the state.

John Lukacs

Numbers usually tell only partial truths. Yet, for some reason, Americans keep hoping to find revelation in them.

Steven Lagerfeld

POETRY
by Carl Dennis
Selected and introduced by Anthony Hecht

Anthony Hecht