Menu Close

Articles on Paternity

Displaying all articles

What are the rules that make a man a father? Slava Potik/Unsplash

Who’s your daddy? Don’t ask a DNA test

Before the advent of genetic testing, definitions of paternity were primarily social and legal. Science has destabilized these older definitions, but it has not replaced them.
DNA testing has its risks, including that you don’t know who will own your genetic data. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Five things to consider before ordering an online DNA test

Online genetic testing promises many things. Some are the stuff of fantasy, while others, even if scientifically feasible, still carry risks. Consider these five things before ordering a test.
Men who had to take responsibility for younger siblings growing up were not concerned about conforming to dominant ideas about manhood. shutterstock

New research pokes holes in the idea that men don’t look after their kids

About 60% of children in South Africa under 10 years don’t live with their biological fathers. But research sheds light on those who despite the pressures remain involved in their children’s lives.
It’s about more than gender dynamics: Do social institutions get in the way of dads being dads? Reginald Williams / Pexels

Why dads can’t be the dads they want to be

Why is it all about mom? Fathers want to be more involved in their children’s lives, but are limited by public policy and social institutions. This is a bad deal for dads, kids and moms alike.
Paternity doubts are a source of gossip and emotional trauma – with a man, woman and child caught in between. SBS (resized)

Who’s your Daddy? seeks answers in all the wrong places

How often is a person’s biological father someone other than the man they call dad? Paternity doubts are a source of gossip, on the one hand, and emotional trauma, on the other. But our assumptions about…
Is that you, dad? SBS documentary questions oft-quoted figures on dads who are not the real father of their children. Shutterstock

What are the chances that your dad isn’t your father?

How confident are you that the man you call dad is really your biological father? If you believe some of the most commonly-quoted figures, you could be forgiven for not being very confident at all. But…

Top contributors

More