The impact of employment on fatherhood across family generations in white British, Polish and Irish origin families

Abstract

This paper draws on data from an intergenerational study of fatherhood to consider how fatherhood has changed and how employment conditions and occupational status shape fatherhood, particularly their involvement with their children and, via an analysis of four cases, continuities and discontinuities are identified across the family generations. The study involved three generational chains of men which included grandfathers, sons and grandsons from three ‘ethnicities’; those of white British origin, Polish origin and Irish origin. While most agreed that fatherhood had changed, in particular the way fathers communicate and express affection to their children, other changes were also seen as important – increased material consumption, changes in children's lives and child-focused parenting. On the other hand, employment commitment and working conditions continue to constrain men's involvement with their children in both generations. A different pattern was also evident among a minority of the fathers who modified their employment to take on some childcare responsibilities, while a handful in low-status jobs had wives who were the main earners in the household, a situation that enabled them to take on a significant role in childcare.

Este documento se basa en datos de un estudio intergeneracional de la paternidad para considerar cómo la paternidad ha cambiado y cómo las condiciones de empleo y el estatus laboral influyen a la paternidad, en particular la relación entre hijos y padres, y a través de un análisis de cuatro casos, las continuidades y discontinuidades son identificados a través de las generaciones de la familia. En el estudio participaron tres generaciones de hombres que incluían abuelos, hijos y nietos de los tres grupos étnicos, los de origen británico blanco, de origen polaco y de origen irlandés. Mientras que la mayoría estaba de acuerdo con que la paternidad ha cambiado, en particular la manera en que los padres comunican y expresan afecto a sus hijos, otros cambios también se daban por importante – mayor consumo de materiales, cambios en las vidas de los niños y un mayor foco en los niños mismos durante su crianza. Por otro lado, el compromiso y las condiciones laborales siguen limitando la participación del hombre con sus hijos en ambas generaciones. Una tendencia diferente era también evidente entre una minoría de los padres que modificaron a su empleo a asumir algunas de las responsabilidades de cuidar a sus hijos, mientras que un numero poco significativo con puestos de trabajo de bajo rango, tenían esposas que eran las principales fuentes en el hogar, situación que les permitió adquirir una papel importante en el cuidado de los niños.

Keywords:

• fatherhood
• change/continuities
• family generations
• fathers' employment conditions

Palabras claves:

• La paternidad
• las continuidades/discontinuidades
• las generaciones de la familia
• las condiciones de empleo

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the ESRC RES 062 23 1777.

Notes on contributors

Ann Mooney is an Associate Researcher at the Thomas Coram research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK.

Julia Brannen is Professor of Sociology of the family at Thomas Coram research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK.

Valerie Wigfall is an Associate Researcher at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK.

Violetta Parutis is a Research Officer at the National Centre for Social Research, 35 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0AX, UK.

Notes

1. A 16-year-old son from a father's first marriage refused to be interviewed.

2. Flexibility was defined not only in terms of employer flexibility, but also in how working patterns might accommodate family responsibilities.

3. Among two-parent families with babies a year old or younger, 1% of the biological fathers are in ‘sole charge’ for more than 30 hours per week and in families with 3- to 4-year-olds, 4% of the fathers take on that role (Washbrook, 2007).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the ESRC RES 062 23 1777.