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

Document Type

Article

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.