Father involvement and marital relationship during transition to parenthood: Differences between dual and single-earner families

摘要

Research into the process of becoming mother or father shows very conclusively that this importantlife transition is accompanied by both a decrease in marital quality and a more traditional divisionof labour. In this paper these changes are analyzed with special emphasis on the relationshipsbetween them and exploring the role played in this process by the mother’s work status. Resultsshowed a significant link between the development of marital quality and violated expectationsregarding father involvement on childrearing. Dual-earner families were characterized by aspecific pattern of changes, with greater stability than single-earner families in marital andparental roles during transition to parenthood and a significant role played by spouse support asa partner, but not as a parent.