Growing Inequality in Fathers' Time Investment in Children (1961-2009): Evidence from Multinational Time Use Study

• In Event: 273 - Regular Session. Sociology of Time Use

Abstract

This paper presents evidence on growing inequality in fathers’ time investment in young children using Multinational Time Use Study from 18 countries between 1961 and 2009. The findings show a substantial increase in fathers’ time spent in primary care activities between the 1960s and 2000s. However, high-educated fathers increased their time spent in childcare at a faster rate compared to low-educated fathers leading to a widening education-gap in fathers’ time investment in children. The study estimates that a young child born to a married father with a college degree in the 2000s receive approximately 580 hours more paternal care in the first 4 years his/ her life compared to a child born to a low-educated father. This education gap is more than 3 times of the gap in the 1970s. The results are indicative growing inequality of opportunity for children coming from disadvantaged households.

Author

• Evrim Altintas, Oxford University