We will discuss some theoretical, methodological, and practical issues in current research focusing on the nature of father-child interactions and paternal influence. Moreover, we will suggest some dimensions which research on families and fathers in Brazil should consider. This discussion will be based on the following assumptions: there are several kinds of families; fathers play different roles in different cultural contexts and historical times; and paternal roles are multidimensional and complex. To understand "fathers" we have to know firstly what happens within the "family", taking into account the interactions and relationships developed between the different family subsystems as well as the social context in which that families are embedded.
family; fathers; research; psychology; father-child relations