Beliefs about mothers’ and fathers’ roles and the division of child care and household labor in Indo-Caribbean immigrants with young children.

Abstract

Using a creolization conceptual framework, this study assessed beliefs about paternal and maternal roles, time spent in child care, and household labor among 60 Indo-Caribbean immigrant couples with young children. Analyses revealed belief systems about maternal and paternal roles that fell along traditional lines. Mothers invested significantly more time in major areas of child care and domestic labor than fathers did. Findings are discussed in terms of the lack of movement away from traditional gendered ideologies and the assumption of child care and household labor in Indo-Caribbean families in their new cultural community.

Explaining religious differences in immigrants' gender role attitudes: the changing impact of origin country and individual religiosity

“…This study finds, in line with previous research, that first-generation migrants are more gender traditional than average natives (Inglehart and Norris 2003;Diehl, Koenig and Ruckdeschel 2009;Roopnarine, Krishnakumar and Xu 2009), and that acculturation to more gender egalitarian attitudes occurs across time and between the first and second generations (Kranau, Green and Valencía-Weber 1982;Leaper and Valin 1996;Rosenthal, Ranieri and Klimidis 1996;Read 2003;Pinto and Coltrane 2009). As expected, the more traditional attitudes of first-generation immigrants are explained partly by their greater level of individual religiosity and practice, and partly by their socialization in less gender-egalitarian origin countries.…”

“…Previous research on the lasting effects of origin-country socialization is relatively limited, but it has been shown to be influential for female labour market participation and fertility rates (Blau et al 2008). Also, the more traditional gender role attitudes among Indo-Carribbean families (Roopnarine, Krishnakumar and Xu 2009) as well as Turks in Germany (Inglehart and Norris 2003;Diehl, Koenig and Ruckdeschel 2009) have been attributed to the impact of the origin societies.…”

Family Work Through Time and Space: An Ecological Perspective

“…Cross-cultural research on the division of household labor around the world reveals pervasive gender inequity in the distribution of household work, with women assuming the lion's share of the work (Roopnarine, Krishnakumar, & Xu, 2009). In the United States, gender trumps race, ethnicity, and social class differences, with women across all types of families performing more chores than men.…”

Men and Their Father Figures: Exploring Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Outcomes

“…Traditional gender roles have deep roots in fathers’ responsibilities as “breadwinners” and mothers’ roles as primary childcare providers (Marks and Palkovitz 2004). Yet, black men, when compared with white men, are less likely to successfully fulfill the provider role (Hammond and Mattis 2005; Neighbors et al 1983; Roopnarine et al 2009). Sociologist David Williams highlights how middle-class status is often recent, tenuous, and marginal for many black Americans with regard to positive health outcomes.…”