Fathers' and Mothers' Reports of Involvement in Caring for Infants in Kadazan Families in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

To further examine culture-specific patterns of paternal involvement in childcare, assessments were made of fathers' and mothers' perceptions of their involvement in caring for and stimulating infants in 41 urban Kadazan families in Sabah, Malaysia. Mothers exceeded fathers in the amount of time they spent in cleaning, feeding, and playing with infants and in their levels of engagement in direct care of infants. With the exception of feeding and singing, fathers and mothers reported engaging in similar amounts of care and stimulation of infant boys and girls. The results are discussed in the context of cultural beliefs about gender role differentiation in early childcare in Kadazan families in a rapidly changing Malaysian society.

A Turkish View on Fathers’ Involvement in Children’s Play

“…This influence may serve as a way to educate the child, a source of enjoyment for the child and a way to develop close parent-child relationships (Hughes 1995). Although the literature on parent-child play has mainly focused on mothers' role in and influence on play, there is also a growing body of work on fatherchild play (Hossain et al 2007;Roggman 2004;TamisLeMonda et al 2004). Play is considered as a central part of father-child relationship (Yeung et al 2001).…”

“…Researchers who emphasize differences in mother and father play interactions with their children note that fathers more likely prefer ''rough-and tumble play'' and physical play (Lindsey and Mize 2001;Parke 1996). Starting from babyhood, fathers engage in rough-and-tumble play including lifting their babies; bouncing them, and moving their arms and legs (Hossain et al 2007;Parke 1996).…”

“…Ivrendi (&) Á N. Isikoglu Faculty of Education, Early Childhood Education Program, Pamukkale University, Kinikli Denizli, Turkey e-mail: aivrendi@pau.edu.tr the value of play in a particular society varies based on the parents' cultural beliefs and specific goals for their children (Vandermass-Peler 2002). Cultural differences and similarities in parent play behaviors were evident in research studies (Benetti and Roopnarine 2006;Hossain et al 2007;Kwon and Roy 2007). Since this study aims at examining fathers' views about and participation in play, we assume that these aforementioned societal changes have affected father-child relationships, especially play as a context of this relationship.…”

Parental Beliefs and Fathers’ and Mothers’ Roles in Malaysian Families

“…This might have resulted in rural parents' reports of higher involvement in childcare than their urban counterparts. Kadazan fathers in Malaysian Borneo also follow the trend of spending less time with their children than their spouses (Hossain et al 2007 ). These fathers commute daily to work in city centers and therefore often have less time for childcare tasks.…”

Bonding and Prematurity: Exploratory Study on Early Paternal Involvement in Hospitalization Contexts

“…There are, in fact, several studies with results showing a more effective and affective paternal involvement (Fägerskiöld, 2006;Hossain, Roopnarine, Ismail, Hashmi, & Sombuling, 2007), showing that fathers desire to be present during the growth and development of their children. This change in the role of the father is multidimensional and encompasses several aspects, such as direct care provided to the child at any age (Camus & Frascarolo, 2003;Lamb, 1986;Lindberg et al, 2008;Simões, Leal, & Maroco, 2010).…”