New research led by Lee Gettler and coauthor Sarah Hoegler Dennis used 15 years of longitudinal data from a major metropolitan area in the Philippines. The study followed a large sample of men who were about 25 years old at the start and tracked them for 15 years. The team compared fathering before COVID and after the pandemic using survey waves from 2009 and 2014 (pre-pandemic) and 2022023 (post-pandemic).
The researchers measured routine hands-on care for babies and young children, recreational play, and educational caregiving tasks. For most fathers, involvement after the pandemic looked much like it had before. Gettler says COVID did not cause a large-scale, lasting shift in fathering across the board.
The clear exception was fathers whose employment changed during the pandemic. Men who went from employed to unemployed or underemployed increased time spent on childrens educational care, and that increase persisted after the pandemic. The team suggests paid paternity leave and wider work flexibility to support lasting change.
Difficult words
- longitudinal — data collected from the same people over time
- sample — group of people chosen for a study
- survey — set of questions given to many people
- involvement — the act of taking part in an activity
- underemployed — having less or lower-paid work than needed
- paternity — leave given to a new father from work
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think paid paternity leave would change father involvement in your country? Why or why not?
- How could wider work flexibility help parents after the pandemic? Give one or two examples.
- What other support or policies might help fathers stay involved with their children long term?
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