Fathers' caregiving and breadwinning: A gender congruence analysis.

Abstract

and Rane's Gender Congruence Theory was further expanded via Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and tested to predict parenting behaviors in fathers and mothers. Results provided some support for the revised theory for fathers: Both perceived expectations from their wives for caregiving behavior and the perceived caregiving behaviors of other fathers positively predicted their own caregiving behavior, whereas no independent variables were able to predict their breadwinning behavior. Results provided little support for the revised theory for mothers: Only the perceived caregiving behaviors of other mothers positively predicted their own caregiving behavior, and no independent variables predicted their breadwinning behavior. Role Identity was not a significant predictor of behavior in either role for fathers or mothers.

Gender Congruence and Social Mediation as Influences on Fathers' Caregiving

“…The second prediction was supported by Maurer et al's (2001) findings, but not other investigations (Maurer & Pleck, 2006). The third prediction was supported by McBride and Rane (1997) and a marginally significant finding by Maurer et al, but not others (Maurer & Pleck, 2006).…”

“…The results of Maurer et al's (2001) investigation, as well as others in the literature, offered the most support for the first prediction: fathers' caregiving behavior appears to be significantly influenced by perceived reflected-appraisals from the mother, not caregiving identity (Maurer & Pleck, 2006;Maurer et al, 2001;McBride & Rane, 1997). A notable exception to this finding is Pasley, Futris, and Skinner (2002), who reported a significant effect on caregiving behavior for fathers' identity as well as a measure of fathers' perceptions of mothers' views of them as parents.…”

“…One large and promising area of research on this topic has been to explore fathers' involvement from an identity theory perspective, which postulates that fathers will become involved with their children to the extent that such involvement reflects their identification with the social role of "father" (Fox & Bruce, 2001;Ihinger-Tallman, Pasley, & Buehler, 1993;Marsiglio & Cohan, 2000). Within the identity perspective, Burke and Reitzes' (1991) identity control model emphasized the role of the feedback fathers receive about their fathering, termed perceived reflected-appraisals, and the conditions under which that social feed-back will influence fathers' behaviors (Maurer & Pleck, 2006;Maurer, Pleck, & Rane, 2001). Maurer et al (2001) proposed a Gender Congruence Theory (GCT), equally applicable to both mothers and fathers, which attempted to explain the conditions under which identity versus perceived reflected-appraisals would predict parental behavior.…”

Challenges and Coping Styles of Fathers as Primary Medical Caretakers: A Multicultural Qualitative Study

“…Therefore, men may need additional support and external validation from medical staff for the important role they play in their child's lives. Studies have even shown that PC fathers were better adjusted when they saw themselves as excellent fathers who were making a difference (Maurer & Pleck, 2006).…”

Concealed concern: Fathers’ experiences of having a child with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

“…Specifically, within Western society, males are ascribed instrumental (functional and active) gender roles in comparison to the expressive (emotional and supportive) roles ascribed females (Connell, 1995). Models of behaviour are provided by parents, within men's social networks, and displayed in public arenas (Chesler & Parry, 2001;Maurer & Pleck, 2006). Fathers were particularly susceptible to comparisons that revealed their child's physical limitations, particularly those of a son, and described missing shared sporting activities (Sallfors & Hallberg, 2003).…”