Dads Still See Breadwinner As Their Main Role In The Family

A qualitative study by MORI Social Research Institute for the Equal Opportunities Commission shows that although dads play a range of roles in the family most still see themselves primarily as a breadwinner. Women's lower average pay is a key factor in maintaining traditional gender roles in many families. Other factors that affect dads' involvement in the family include a lack of confidence in their own caring skills and a working culture of long and inflexible hours.

The study, Dads on Dads, identifies four types of dad.

Enforcer dad: is not involved with the day-to-day care of children. He sees the most important aspects of being a father as providing a role model and clear rules for his children. These fathers are usually older and tend to emphasise traditional gender roles.

Entertainer dad: often entertains the children while the mother does things like cooking and cleaning but tends not to be involved in those tasks himself.

"My wife won't play with them as much as I do. She is too busy worrying about what needs doing, you know, the washing, school, [she] is too serious".

Useful dad: helps out with day-to-day childcare and household tasks, but still tends to take the lead from the mother about what needs doing.

"I think fathers are more supportive aren't we. The woman does most of it and we just back it up."

Fully involved dad: is equally involved with running the home and family, at least some of the time. The mother and father roles are virtually interchangeable in his family. Dads in this category are more likely to need the kind of flexibility at work that is more closely associated with working mothers.

"I do have definite childcare commitments and there are certain times or occasions where it is non-negotiable and I leave on time."

Most fathers fall into the middle two categories, playing a supporting role in the household; fewer are enforcers or fully involved dads.

Many dads are not around for their children much during the week but feel they make up for this by spending as much time as possible with them at weekends. These 'weekend dads' tend to be either 'entertainer dads' or 'helpful dads'.

"First thing Monday until 6pm Friday, I almost sell myself to my job, but it has to be something pretty serious to have to work the weekend ... so I have two clear days as a family unit."

Many dads believe it is important that they spend 'quality time' with their children, but being the breadwinner still defines the way most look at their role in the family. Although many dads are satisfied with their level of involvement, there is a feeling among others, including many 'useful dads' and 'entertainer dads', that they want to be more involved in their children's lives than in the past:

"I think the younger generation of fathers... want to play more of an active role as a father and as a doer in the household."

Women's lower average pay and the high cost of childcare are given as key reasons for one parent, usually the mother, staying at home.

"Financially, it would be totally illogical for my wife to work. The childcare cost involved with three children, it would cost more than she could earn."

Summary of key findings

• The breadwinner role remains important for many fathers. Although many also recognise the importance of 'being there' for their children, they tend to play a supporting role at home, rather than taking equal responsibility for day-to-day caring and domestic tasks.
• 'Being there' is one aspect of being a good father identified by many fathers However, their definitions of 'being there' vary considerably. It doesn't necessarily mean consistent presence in the household. Many emphasise the importance of 'quality time' with their children. Many mothers also have low expectations of what the father 'being there' entails in terms of time commitment.
• The fact that women tend to earn less than their partner and the high cost of childcare are key reasons for mothers taking responsibility for childcare.
• One inhibiting factor on fathers taking on a greater role in the home is a lack of confidence and a fear they don't have the skills to do it well.
• Other factors that affect fathers' involvement in the family include their motivation (i.e. whether they want to be involved), working hours, career aspirations, the number and age of their children, their partner's working hours and the availability of informal childcare support.
• Where both parents work full-time the father is more likely to say that being the main breadwinner is not important to them. He is also more likely to take on a greater level of responsibility for childcare.
• Many fathers say that fatherhood changes their attitude to work and makes them feel more responsible, but make limited practical changes. In contrast, a majority of mothers make significant changes to their working lives.
• In some cases men have made changes to their job that mean they spend less time with their family -- this appears to reflect the pressure on the father to be a breadwinner.
• Many employers expect that work is the primary focus of a man's attention, leaving little room for them to accommodate family commitments. Some fathers are content with this and stress the importance of their personal responsibility for managing their own work-life balance. Some report a constant tension between work and home.
• It is generally expected that mothers will make changes in working patterns and be 'on-call' for emergencies, while men will not. Few men had considered part-time or flexible working.
• Fathers' awareness of types of family friendly working available is generally poor. Many assume that family friendly working is not intended for them. Some organisations communicate these policies poorly or are reluctant to promote them to fathers.

• Fathers: balancing work and family -- pdf, 51KB

Technical details

• Dads on Dads: Needs and expectations at home and at work is available on the EOC website or from the helpline.
• MORI conducted more than 60 qualitative, in-depth interviews with fathers, their partners and an HR Manager in six different case study organisations, between 25 April and 14 June 2002. They also conducted three focus groups among fathers to explore in more depth the issues that had emerged from the interviews. The report was written by Warren Hatter, Louise Vinter and Rachel Williams.