Fathers and daughters: what is the truth behind this unexplored family bond?

The oft-overlooked bond between father and daughter is explored in Charlotte Wells' acclaimed directorial debut, Aftersun, which hit theaters last week and stars Normal People< Paul Mescal of /em> and newcomer Frankie Corio.

It tells the story of a woman looking back on a vacation she had spent as a child with his father. "Tale" is probably the wrong word because it's much more about atmosphere, memory and the teasing ease and fleeting tensions that drive so many father-child relationships.

As the father of three daughters, I'm no stranger to conspiratorial jokes and light-hearted jokes that can offer relief from the bitter battles frequently fought by mothers and daughters. But fathering a daughter isn't just a joy, it's also an empirical fact that it improves socially. A 2018 study by the LSE found that men were less likely to hold sexist attitudes if they had a school-aged daughter.

These results were underscored by another study, published earlier this year, which examined the gender biases of American politicians. He compared how many lawmakers interrupted Janet Yellen, chair of the US Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018, with how much they interrupted men in that role. Transcripts of all the meetings showed that there was a sharp increase in hostility towards Yellen, except in the case of politicians with daughters.

As the wrote the authors of the first study: "Through parenting, fathers of daughters can develop a better understanding of the disadvantages of women and girls in society, resulting in a significant change in their attitudes towards gender norms. 130c75f4062e" data-spacefinder-role="showcase" data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-eiqqge">