Correlates of father participation in family work

This study of 160 families investigated the extent and pattern of fathers' participation in family work, the antecedents of such participation, and its consequences for fathers, their wives, and their children. Special attention was given to how fathers' involvement in paid work and family roles, in combination with that of their wives, influences children's sex-role attitudes and behavior. The sample consisted of 160 fathers of kindergarten and fourth-grade children, their wives, and the children. The participants were white and middle class, and were recruited through a suburban school system. Half of the children were boys and half were girls; half of the mothers were employed. Fathers and mothers were interviewed in their homes for approximately two hours. The interviews were conducted by a male and female researcher, and the parents were seen both separately and together. The adults also completed a background questionnaire and an attitude questionnaire. The children were interviewed individually at school. Topic areas assessed in the adult interviews included education, income, work status, division of household chores, and child-care responsibilities. An hour-by-hour time budget of a typical school week was also included. Other issues assessed were equity in the marital relationship, relationship of the parent with his or her own father, role conflict, and life satisfaction. Child interviews covered current interests and activities, adult occupational roles, and adult family roles. The Murray Center holds computer-accessible data for 158 families, as well as copies of written responses to most open-ended questions from the parents in the study.