A sociological study of generational change in fathering

This research examines generational changes in gender-role attitudes and fathering behavior in order to address three questions: In what ways are fathers of young sons the same, or different from, their fathers with respect to the attitudes and behavior of fathering sons? What is the significance of race and/or household income with regard to generational change? Why has such change occurred? Survey and interview data are used to analyze and describe changes in fathering over two generations. Quota and purposive sampling were used to have equal representation of race and income among the fathers in this study. Respondents were residential fathers of sons aged five to twelve who reside in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Findings indicate first, most fathers report some or significant generational change in gender-role attitudes and in all areas of fathering behavior. The most significant change has occurred in nurturing behavior; more than half of the men in this study report significant generational change in nurturing. Second, household income is more strongly related to the attitudes and behavior of past generation fathers than present generation fathers and is not associated with generational change in attitudes or behavior. Race is not found to have statistical significance at any point of these analyses. Third, gender-role attitudes are strongly related to all behavioral dependent variables, and the employment status of mothers is significant in relation to all generational change dependent variables. Interview data reveal fathers' explanations of generational change in attitudes and fathering behavior are described as the result of increased numbers of women in the workforce and general changing socio-cultural definitions of gender which are deconstructing the myth of public and private spheres. This study shows the significance of present generation mothers' full-time employment status in creating opportunity for progressive change. It is imperative for fathers to continue to incorporate more of the private sphere responsibilities and work into their roles and identities as men, as mothers have increasingly incorporated more of the public sphere into their roles and identities as women. This type of change requires both individual agency and social reconstruction of the father role.