London - Fatherhood makes men more traditional in their attitudes to childcare and housework, a study shows. They believe more strongly than before that a woman’s most important role in life is being a mother.
They are also less likely to subscribe to the idea that chores should be shared equally and more likely to say women should work only if money is tight.
Researchers questioned 2 000 people before and after they became parents.
They said the shift in attitudes had its roots in society rather than in biology. Janeen Baxter, who led the study at the University of Queensland, said work, public services and social networks “create barriers to involved fatherhood and also encourage the traditional social construction of a woman’s mothering role”.
The social scientists said they would expect similar results if the research was carried out in the UK instead of Australia. Motherhood was found to affect women’s beliefs but the results were less clear cut. The study was reported in the journal Social Forces.
Daily Mail