Gender equality or just more involved fathering? A critical examination of the division of childcare in Hong Kong's professional middle-class families.
| Title: | Gender equality or just more involved fathering? A critical examination of the division of childcare in Hong Kong's professional middle-class families. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Ngan, Lucille L. S.1 (AUTHOR) lucillengan@hsu.edu.hk, Chan, Anita K. W.2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Community, Work & Family. Jan2025, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p136-151. 16p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Middle class, Middle class families, Child development, Parents, Couples, Fathers, Fatherhood |
| Abstract: | The ideals of paternal involvement in childcare have become evermore celebrated in Hong Kong and elsewhere, but are these signs of a new form of gender equality in the family? Based on in-depth interviews with professional middle-class families in Hong Kong, our findings suggest not. Although mothers' expectations of paternal involvement, privileged class positions and assistance from domestic helpers have contributed to increased father's engagement, we are not seeing gender-equal parenting emerging in these families. Instead, compared to mothers, fathers exercise more flexibility over which and when to perform parenting tasks, spend lesser time on childcare, have greater decision-making power in the major aspects of their children's lives, and their financial provision is considered more important in both parents' construction of fatherhood. To condone the unequal division of childcare and gender relations, we show couples' endorsement of an ideology of 'complementary differences'. Our analysis of the co-constructions and negotiations between both parents underscore the mutual influences that spouses have on each other. Moreover, by paying attention to the class, social and cultural dimensions of parenting, we reveal how well-resourced, liberal Chinese families prioritize family harmony and children's development to the extent that gender inequalities in childcare are tolerable and trivialized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Gender equality or just more involved fathering? A critical examination of the division of childcare in Hong Kong's professional middle-class families. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ngan%2C+Lucille+L%2E+S%2E%22">Ngan, Lucille L. S.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> lucillengan@hsu.edu.hk</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chan%2C+Anita+K%2E+W%2E%22">Chan, Anita K. W.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Community%2C+Work+%26+Family%22">Community, Work & Family</searchLink>. Jan2025, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p136-151. 16p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+class%22">Middle class</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+class+families%22">Middle class families</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+development%22">Child development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Couples%22">Couples</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fathers%22">Fathers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fatherhood%22">Fatherhood</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The ideals of paternal involvement in childcare have become evermore celebrated in Hong Kong and elsewhere, but are these signs of a new form of gender equality in the family? Based on in-depth interviews with professional middle-class families in Hong Kong, our findings suggest not. Although mothers' expectations of paternal involvement, privileged class positions and assistance from domestic helpers have contributed to increased father's engagement, we are not seeing gender-equal parenting emerging in these families. Instead, compared to mothers, fathers exercise more flexibility over which and when to perform parenting tasks, spend lesser time on childcare, have greater decision-making power in the major aspects of their children's lives, and their financial provision is considered more important in both parents' construction of fatherhood. To condone the unequal division of childcare and gender relations, we show couples' endorsement of an ideology of 'complementary differences'. Our analysis of the co-constructions and negotiations between both parents underscore the mutual influences that spouses have on each other. Moreover, by paying attention to the class, social and cultural dimensions of parenting, we reveal how well-resourced, liberal Chinese families prioritize family harmony and children's development to the extent that gender inequalities in childcare are tolerable and trivialized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Community, Work & Family is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/13668803.2023.2207718 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 16 StartPage: 136 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Middle class Type: general – SubjectFull: Middle class families Type: general – SubjectFull: Child development Type: general – SubjectFull: Parents Type: general – SubjectFull: Couples Type: general – SubjectFull: Fathers Type: general – SubjectFull: Fatherhood Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Gender equality or just more involved fathering? A critical examination of the division of childcare in Hong Kong's professional middle-class families. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ngan, Lucille L. S. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chan, Anita K. W. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Jan2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13668803 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 28 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Community, Work & Family Type: main |
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