Factors that influence paternal time caring for children: time-use trends across three European countries.

Giannakou, Kyriaki (2023) Factors that influence paternal time caring for children: time-use trends across three European countries. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Fathers’ time caring for children is a critical aspect of modern family operationalisation and central to gender literature. It is influenced by various factors, including individual and household level conditions, as well as broader societal norms and practices. Improvements in work - family policies in the beginning of the 21st century may have initiated a shift in gender order in such a way so as fathers and mothers could adopt a more equal division in parenting roles at home. This study aims at disentangling the multiple conditions that affect fathers’ and mothers’ time in childcare in the European context with a special interest on the role of the contextual and household factors that may inhibit or reinforce father involvement in families. To this end, couple-level data are utilised from nationally representative Time-Use Surveys across three European countries (i.e., UK, France and Germany) and across two time periods (around 2000 and 2010) in order to compare parents’ absolute and relative time inputs in childcare by dimensions of activities (i.e., Physical / Managerial versus Interactive care activities) and by co-presence (i.e., childcare performed Near to Each Other or Alone) on weekdays and weekend days. The results suggest that fathers' time caring for children differs considerably by country, by year of survey and by couples’ employment pattern suggesting that broader societal forces as well as distinct national policy reforms play a crucial role in shaping fathers’ involvement in childcare. The findings also shed light on the distinct factors that influence fathers and mothers to spend time on childcare during weekdays versus weekends. This study aims to provide new insights for policymakers who wish to promote greater gender equity both at home and in the workplace, while considering the specific social context in which couples are embedded.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User:	James Tweddle
Date Deposited:	11 Jul 2024 10:56
Last Modified:	11 Jul 2024 10:56
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95876
DOI:

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