Sociology of Gender Conference

TA: Andrew Carvajal

All cartoons taken from www.cartoonbank.com

Q: Do women and men parent differently? Why?Sub-questions Is the absence of a father or mother

figure detrimental to the well-being of children?

How may this play out in▪ One-parent households▪ Gay couples

Are parenting styles engrained in sex and/or gender?

Are they immutable or adaptive?

Research Questions: Does sex affect parenting in single headed

households? What are the different effects that single fathers

as compared to single mothers have on children?

How are men coping with single parenthood and running a household on their own, as compared to their female counterparts?

Previous Quantitative & Qualitative Data

Theory

In-depth Interviews

Individualist Approach Adults will parent in gendered ways - Male and

female parents will meet children needs differently Gender roles as

▪ Biologically given ▪ Part of role-training and gendered role identification▪ Internalized through early socialization or psychological

processes, while later becoming stable personality traits Due to the low status of household work and its

identification with women, fathers would probably do less of it than mothers would. They would instead focus on different activities

Mothers will spend more time on feminine tasks and fathers will spend more on masculine ones

Acock et al. (1995)

The Structuralist Approach Sex roles are not immutable but adaptive

ongoing interactions (Risman 1986, 1987) Situational demands of role requirements

and social networks influence adult behaviour and demand men to “mother” when there are no wives to depend on. Women must alternatively “father”

If social opportunities between men and women were controlled, differences between mothers and fathers would be eliminated

Both genders express a role and task overload Difficulty in developing and maintaining a social life Loneliness

“That’s the main point… that you don’t’ have any backup… and you can’t split any chores with anybody, you know… everything is on your shoulders and you have to do it by yourself.” (Alexandre, 35)

“Well is hard at the beginning… Is also, there’s a lot of other issues…. children issues, financial issues… I went to a group counseling several times, I didn’t have many friends” (Lynda, 40)

Women appeared to look for support groups, while men for organizations with social activities

Areas of particular concern are: The supervision and protection of children, and

synchronizing it with a job Homemaking – Though most seem to handle it

without outside help The emotional needs of children, especially in

preadolescent children Men did express particular concerns with rearing

daughters in a motherless environment. In particular dealing with issues related to their daughters sexual life and sexuality (Mendes 1976)

Richards and Schmiege, 1993

Single fathers spend significantly more time with their children than they would have done in a two parent household

“I’m much closer to her now than I was when I was with Sonia… not that, you know, I wasn’t interested… but Sonia was taking a big part of, you know, homework and activities… so I was more following along…” (Mark, 37)

All interviewees revealed developing a stronger connection with their children

Stronger commitment to be actively involved in their children’s lives One father started volunteering in his boys’

school, sitting on the board of governors and monitoring at lunch time

www.fanforum.com

If fathers are more suited for discipline, do children in single father households experience more discipline that in single-mother ones? No evidence of more deviance in one family setting

than other

Some evidence of even less enforcement of discipline in single father households than in two parent or single mother ones (Curtin et al. (1992)

Two interviewed fathers did state that rule enforcement in their homes was more strict than at their ex-spouses But they were adjusting and softening their

approach

Do children in single mother households develop better verbal rather than quantitative skills than children in male headed single households? No evidence supporting it

Do children in single mother families have a more positive view of themselves and better relationships with others? No evidence to support this

Single fathers felt as close and affectionate towards their children as their female counterparts (Risman 1986, 1988)

Single father households as likely to have a highly involved parent as female-headed ones (Downey, 1998; Acock et al. 1995)

Single men and women do not differ greatly in their interaction with children

Activities are much less gendered in single families, as the single parent needs to assume the role of the missing partner

Money $$$ Married fathers earn the most and work the most

hours, followed by single fathers and then single mothers

If money is associated with children's well being, then single males are at an advantage over women

This is not a matter inherent to sex Education Job opportunities Race, class

Single Mom

vs.

Superman

Unlike expected, some social stereotypes tend to favour single fathers over single mothers

“I have a problem with the term single mother. I have a very negative interpretation of that term… I assume people have, have judgments about me from the outset, and, and ideas about, you know, how I am and how I must be raising him… I think single father, then I imagine… you know, a dad who’s come in to rescue his kids, and is more, you know brave, and put his foot forward and has embraced this role, whereas mother, like well, did she have a choice? probably not, you know” (Dana, 25 )

“Because… for example, a father who’s separated, single… uhhh, he’s an attractive person for everyone else… whereas a single or separated mother isn’t the same… she’s garbage, basically” (Paula, 56)

I do think that people see me as the oh wonderful exception that is doing a wonderful job, like you know, a superhero because I am a single father… and as a single mother it’s, well she’s been dumped, it’s a burden, it it’s something hard to do... she’s the victim… while the father it’s, well you’re lucky, you’re good because you’re doing it and most people wouldn’t and stuff like that, which I don’t think is true.” (Mark, 37)

Could single fatherhood be perceived as a way of proving masculinity?

How does the single father fit in our current paradigm of hegemonic masculinity?