Male Primary Caregivers in Australia: The Process of Becoming and Being

Abstract

Over the past twenty years, researchers and other surveyors of the general population have noted changes in the stated ideals and to some extent the behaviours of couples regarding parenting and workforce management. The movement of women into the workforce, notions of equal opportunity, ideals of egalitarianism, a redefinition of masculinity and a greater emphasis on the responsibilities of fathers, all have the potential to shift traditional levels of responsibility on both the home and work fronts. One aspect of a seven-year qualitative study of 25 Australian families, where the men had taken on the primary parenting position, was an exploration of the following questions: what influences do historical cultural values have in this situation? and what capacity do these men have to negotiate for the occupation of what has traditionally been a female position?