Role of the father

• What are the traditional views of Role of the father?

  • Fathers go out to work and earn money
  • They play with the children and tell them off
  • Play a minor role in parenting
• What are the modern views of Role of the father?

  • Normal for mothers to have a job
  • 9% of single parents are male
  • Men are encouraged to be more nurturing and provide emotional support
• Research to show fathers are important

  Hoover (1995) found children of involved fathers are more likely to have positive peer relations and be popular (shows less conflict and more reciprocity.
• Research to show fathers are important

  McCallum and Golombok (2004) found that children growing up in single or same-sex families developed the same as those in 2 parent families – undermining the idea that fathers have distinct roles
• Research to show fathers are important

  A change in social stereotypes has meant that it is more socially acceptable for men to show emotions and encouraged to be more involved in the upbringing of their child
• Research to show fathers are not important

  Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that in only 3% of cases the father was the primary caregiver (85% were the mother) – children still form attachments with their father but it’s often secondary attachment
• Research to show fathers are not important

  Research has shown that fathers are less able than mothers to detect levels of infant distress – mothers have more of a tendency to fulfil more of a ‘caregiving’ role
• Research to show fathers are not important

  Fathers don’t have the capability to breastfeed which may mean they’ll struggle to form an attachment – learning theory states infants form attachments because of food
• What is the positive impact on the economy?

  Fathers get less paternity leave than mothers so they would go back to work quicker = earning money and paying taxes = good for the economy
• What is the negative impact on the economy?

  Social stereotypes suggests mothers play a primary role in the care of their children which puts more pressure on women nurturing their child = make them feel guilty about leaving them = stop working after childbirth = bad for the economy