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Project Summary: At-home dads

My research explores three basic questions. Why do so few
men deviate from the “primary breadwinner role” and assume
greater responsibility for domestic labor? What are the
conditions and the process by which men are more likely to do
so? Among these “stay at home dads”, how have their
definitions of meaning in work changed as a result of doing so?

I see studying stay-at-home dads as significant because
despite shifts in social norms (more egalitarian views of
domestic labor) and economic changes that have allowed women
greater opportunities to enter the labor force, research has
overwhelmingly shown that domestic labor remains predominately
a female activity. Stay-at-home dads represent an interesting
exception to this norm. Given the greater flexibility with
which couples may organize their lives in the context of work
and family structures, why do so few men nevertheless refrain
from taking on greater responsibilities within the family?

To answer these questions, I will combine quantitative and
qualitative methods in two phases. During the first phase, I
will conduct exploratory interviews with 8-10 men who assume
primary caregiver roles. During this period, I will also
analyze aggregate data to examine how patterns of paid and
unpaid work and gender role expectations affect work and
family conflict. During the second phase, I aim to conduct 40
in-depth interviews with at-home dads.

Tags: SAHD research dad society