Understanding fathering in Britain today

This research set out to investigate the parenting beliefs and practices of modern day fathers living in Britain today. The aim was to gain a better understanding of what 'being a father' means to parents and to what extent can there be said to be a 'common model' of fatherhood across Britain. Findings show that whilst fathers and mothers acknowledge the expectation of fathers to become more involved in childcare duties, many parents tend to hold more traditional views when it comes to the division of the childcare vs breadwinner responsibilities. Attitudes to fathering and actual fathering behaviours have been shown by our study to be influenced by a complex web of factors, with socio and economic life circumstances exerting the greatest influence on greater paternal involvement. The study found that there are far more similarities in the behaviours of fathers and their attitudes to fathering than there are differences. In the context of modern day Britain, fathers are facing similar challenges in their role as parents, giving rise to a common model of fathering within which fathers are facing similar challenges in achieving their ideal fathering role.