Making Fathers
This article examines family status of fathers in Canada. The sociodemographic, family and conjugal characteristics of fathers are analyzed to illustrate the many faces of fathers.
Category Work-Life Quality: Fathers 
Details Making Fathers “Count”

The data from this analysis are taken from two different cycles of the General Social Survey on the family: Cycle 10 from 1995 and Cycle 20 from 2006.

Major social transformations resulting from the growing fragility of conjugal unions and the two-fold movement of the liberation of women and their entry into the labour force, have changed both the representation of fatherhood and how it is practised in daily life. Once considered only an authority figure and a breadwinner, today’s fathers actively participate in the day-to-day care giving and emotional support of their children.

Today fathers are involved during the pregnancy, they are present at ultrasounds, they help with the labour and birth, and are present and involved in the lives of their young children.

One explanation for the increasing active participation of fathers is a result of women’s increased participation in the labour force.
 
This, coupled with the less traditional division of family roles and responsibilities by mothers and fathers as well as the desire of fathers themselves to be closer to their children are factors that may explain this growing role for fathers.

Given the growing diversity of families in Canada, and the known importance of fathers’ involvement with their children, it is important to understand the level of involvement of fathers for each family type – lone fathers, fathers in reconstituted families, or fathers who do not live with their children – compared with fathers in intact families.

Highlights
• Fatherhood is beginning later in Life
• A growing proportion of fathers are employed
• Almost 6 in 10 fathers have a personal income of $50,000 or more
 
Author
Pascale Beaupré, Heather Dryburgh and Michael Wendt
Publication Date
June 8, 2010
Source
Statistics Canada
Canadian Social Trends
Component of Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11-008-X
Format
HTML & PDF Version (144 kb)
Availability
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