The Importance of Fatherhood to U.S. Married and Cohabiting Men

Authors

Veronica Tichenor, State University of New York-Institute of TechnologyFollow
Julia McQuillan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Arthur L. Greil, Alfred UniversityFollow
Raleigh Contreras, University of Nebraska
Karina M. Shreffler, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow

Date of this Version

2011

Comments

Published in Fathering, Vol. 9, No. 3, Fall 2011, 232-251. © 2011 by the Men’s Studies Press, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.mensstudies.com

Abstract

Using a non-hierarchical approach to identity theory, we construct a scale to analyze the characteristics associated with the importance of fatherhood in a national sample of male partners (N = 932) of U.S. women of reproductive age, including fathers and non-fathers. OLS multiple regression shows that economic situation is not associated with importance of fatherhood, but valuing career success, higher education, higher religiosity and non-egalitarian gender attitudes (compared to egalitarian) are associated with higher importance of fatherhood scores. Leisure, age, fertility problems, and non-egalitarian gender attitudes are associated with importance of fatherhood scores differently for fathers and non-fathers. Although fathers place a higher value on fatherhood than do non-fathers, non-fathers, especially those who have experienced infertility, also have high importance of fatherhood scores.