Sexual Division in Parenting: A Normative Context That Hinders Co-Responsibility

Abstract

Recent decades have seen an increase in women’s employment rates and an expansion of egalitarian values. Previous studies document the so-called “motherhood penalty,” which makes women’s employment more difficult. Demands for greater shared child-rearing between parents are hindered by a normative climate that supports differentiated gender roles in the family. Using data from the Center for Sociological Research [Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas] (2018), this study shows that the Spanish population perceives that differentiated social images of motherhood and fatherhood still persist. The “sexual division in parenting” index is proposed and the profile of the individuals who most perceive this sexual division is analyzed. The results show that women and younger people are the most aware of this social normativity that unequally distributes child care, making co-responsibility difficult. The political implications of these results are discussed.

Parenting of Spanish mothers and fathers playing with their children at home

“…Although policies promoting the balancing of family and work commitments in Spain have been relatively weak, in 2021 the duration of paternity leave was raised to the same level as maternity leave in a bid to support equality in parenting. Nonetheless, mothers continue to dedicate more time to childcare [ 10 ] and to carrying out more routine parenting tasks, while the most rewarding and socially valued activities tend to correspond to the father [ 11 ].…”

Work–Life Balance and Teleworking: Lessons Learned during the Pandemic on Gender Role Transformation and Self-Reported Well-Being

“…Daily routines are rooted in the androcentric status quo, keeping the same roles, or with minimal changes, that reinforce men’s roles having a privileged status. Social and technological changes such as public policy and normative measures are putting cracks into gender regimes [ 15 , 20 ], and now may be the time to show men how unequal the situation is and trigger their involvement in the household.…”

“…All risks are taken by women, who move from one social role to another, juggling domestic and employment tasks, accomplishing demands with accelerated timelines, and increasing demands on well-being. Time distribution polls still report women spending more hours on childcare and housework, while men keep privileges as breadwinners and work-centric public domain actors [ 19 , 20 ]. No social forces are pushing men into the domestic realm, none so strongly as women are pushed by employment and social dynamics.…”

Parental competences in fathers and mothers of very‐low‐birth‐weight preterm infants

“…Other studies not focused on preterm population show that fathers' involvement has increased in recent years (Dominguez-Folgueras et al, 2018), although the Spanish population still continues to perceive differentiated social images of motherhood and fatherhood (García- de-Diego & García-Faroldi, 2022). Although some recent research shows similarities in the parenting behaviors of mothers and fathers (Rivero et al, 2022), differences are also found.…”

“…Although some recent research shows similarities in the parenting behaviors of mothers and fathers (Rivero et al, 2022), differences are also found. Mothers dedicate more time to childcare, perform more routine parental tasks (Borràs et al, 2021), and are more sensitive (Hallers-Haalboom et al, 2014), whereas fathers perform more rewarding and socially valued activities (García-de-Diego & García-Faroldi, 2022). Results of recent research indicates greater communicative competence in mothers than fathers in relating to their adolescent children, but mothers self-rate themselves as less skilled than fathers in emotional self-control (Martínez Gonz alez et al, 2021).…”