Turning points in the transition to parenthood: Variability of father involvement over time

Autor(en)

Eva-Maria Schmidt, Irene Rieder, Ulrike Zartler, Cornelia Schadler, Rudolf Richter

Abstrakt

Although fathers' involvement in care work has increased, the transition to parenthood still implies a gendered division of labour. In order to gain more knowledge of this ambivalence, we focus on the variability of father involvement at this transition. Based on an Austrian qualitative longitudinal study with couples experiencing the transition to first-time parenthood, we examined how fathers' affective, cognitive and behavioural involvement varies across the transition process. Changes in fathers' involvement culminated at particular points in time, conceptualised as turning points. Results show that the transition to fatherhood is characterised by a variety of pre-pregnancy, prenatal and postnatal turning points at which father involvement undergoes crucial transformations. Father involvement varies not only between fathers, but also within individual transitions. The study indicates that turning points contribute to the dynamics and fluidity of the transition process.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Soziologie, Institut für Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie

Journal

Zeitschrift für Familienforschung (ZfF)

Band

29

Seiten

139-155

Anzahl der Seiten

17

ISSN

1437-2940

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3224/zff.v29i2.01

Publikationsdatum

09-2017

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

504014 Gender Studies, 504011 Familienforschung

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Social Psychology, Sociology and Political Science, Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/be460581-2ba8-4cb6-83e8-8410ef5cbc39