The single biggest social change of the last 50 years is also the most taboo to talk about: the disappearance of fathers. Throughout most of our history, family cohesion wasn’t just an abstract goal – to be pursued or not at a person’s convenience – but a necessary precursor to having children, backed by the force of law and reinforced by social stigmas. 

These changes have been most pronounced in the United States: where, in 1960, just 9% of children were born to unwed parents, today 40% are, with the result that America now leads the world in its rate of children living in single-parent households – 23%, compared to a global average of just 7%. Euphemisms like “single-parent households” obscure as much as they enlighten, for the reality is that 81% of those single-parent households are female-led. 

What does this father-absence bode for the United States? What do fathers contribute, and how will their lack be felt? And what does it mean for men, that so many of them are now missing out on one of life’s most important responsibilities?

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