Are Separated Fathers Less or More Involved in Childrearing than Partnered Fathers?

Project info

Work package
  • Care
Sustainability threat
  • Spillovers
Challenge
  • Facilitating work life balance

Study info

Description of Study
Separated fathers are generally assumed to be less involved with their children than partnered fathers. Yet, extant research on separated fathers has mainly focused on nonresident fathers without taking into consideration the existing diversity in post-separation residence arrangements. In fact, separated resident and shared residence fathers may possibly be more involved than partnered fathers, because the former likely bear primary childcare responsibilities, while the latter often act as secondary caregivers. This study extends previous research by investigating father involvement via regular care and leisure activities across a full range of separated fathers, and how it compares to that of partnered fathers, as well as whether patterns differ by father’s education. Data from the New Families in the Netherlands survey (N=1592) reveal that as compared to partnered fathers, shared residence fathers and especially resident fathers are more actively involved in the regular care of their child, whereas nonresident fathers are less involved. Results are similar for leisure, except that partnered fathers are similarly involved as shared residence fathers in this activity. Education also matters: involvement of fathers across diferent post-separation residence arrangements is more similar to that of partnered fathers when being highly educated. These fndings suggest that including resident and shared residence fathers in the picture ofers a more optimistic view of fathers’ post-separation parenting role, because these separated fathers are actually more actively involved in childrearing than partnered fathers.
Study research question
By focusing on a full range of post-separation residence arrangements (i.e., resident father, shared residence father, nonresident father), we examine father involvement of all types of separated fathers, and how they compare to partnered fathers. Second, we test whether diferences in father involvement across residence arrangements vary by father’s education.
Collection provenance
  • -
Collection methods
  • Longitudinal survey
Personal data
Yes
External Source
Source description
File formats
  • SPSS and Stata files
Data types
  • Structured
Languages
  • Data collection was in Dutch; Data files are in English
Coverage start
Coverage end
31/05/2012
30/09/2016
Spatial coverage
The Netherlands
Collection period start
Collection period end

Variables

Unit
Unit description
Sample size
Sampling method
Individuals
Married or cohabiting heterosexual parents with minor children (i.e., partnered sample)
Wave 1: 2,173 participating parents; Wave 2: 1,336 participating parents
Random sampling
Individuals
Formerly married or cohabiting heterosexual parents with minor children who dissolved their union in 2010 (i.e., separated sample)
Wave 1: 4,481 participating parents; Wave 2: 3,464 participating parents
Random sampling
Hypothesis
Theory
H1a Shared residence fathers and especially resident fathers are more involved with their child than partnered fathers.
H1b Nonresident fathers are less involved with their child than partnered fathers.
H2a Among the highly educated, the gap in father involvement between partnered fathers and (shared) resident fathers is smaller because of greater involvement of high-educated partnered fathers.
H2b Among the highly educated, the gap in father involvement between partnered fathers and nonresident fathers is smaller because of greater involvement of higheducated nonresident fathers.
Variable type
Variable name
Variable description
Dependent variable
Regular care
Dependent variable
Leisure
Independent variable
Father's residential status
Independent variable
Father's education
Control variable
(Pre-separation) involvement
Control variable
(Pre-separation) conflict
Control variable
(Pre-separation) union type
Control variable
Father's age
Control variable
Mother's age
Dependent variable
Mother's education
Dependent variable
Father's work hours
Dependent variable
Child's gender
Dependent variable
Child's age
Dependent variable
Number of children
Discipline-specific operationalizations
Conflict of interest
None

Data packages

Data package_Childrearing Separated and Partnered Fathers_2021

Data package DOI
Description
Data package corresponding to the following publication: Are Separated Fathers Less or More Involved in Childrearing than Partnered Fathers?
Accessibility
Open Access
Repository
YODA
User license
Retention period

Publications

Are Separated Fathers Less or More Involved in Childrearing than Partnered Fathers?

Koster, T., & Castro-Martín, T. (2021). Are Separated Fathers Less or More Involved in Childrearing than Partnered Fathers?. European Journal of Population, 37(4), 933-957.

Documents

Filename
Description
Date

Ethics

Ethical assessment
Yes
Ethical committee
The Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Utrecht University