Family Leisure and Changing Ideologies of Parenthood

Abstract

This paper examines the significant role that family leisure plays in family life, and the ways in which family time, family activities, and family vacations reflect and contribute to changing ideologies of parenthood (including ideologies of motherhood and fatherhood). Research on this topic has shown family leisure to be a parental commitment, organized and constructed for the benefit of children and for the family as a whole. At the same time, family leisure has contradictory meanings and outcomes, because of the work involved and the difficulties associated with organizing and facilitating positive family experiences. Moreover, the work of family leisure falls disproportionately to mothers, reducing their personal time and personal leisure. It is argued that family leisure is a new obligation of parenthood, and one that has important implications for understanding ideas, beliefs and practices associated with intensive motherhood and involved fatherhood.

Actitudes de padres e hijos hacia un ocio compartido en familia

“…Otra aportación relevante es que tanto los estudiantes como los padres no consideran que el tiempo que pasan juntos sea excesivo, lo que apoya favorablemente el potencial éxito de la promoción de actividades de ocio compartidas en familia reportando bienestar a quiénes las vivencian (Maynard & Harding, 2010;Offer, 2014), desarrollo intelectual, psicológico y social a cada uno de sus miembros (Craig & Mullan, 2012;Shaw, 2008) y mejora de la salud, en su concepción holista (Grosso et al, 2011;Pinxten & Lievens, 2014;Veenstra & Patterson, 2012).…”

“…Diferentes líneas empíricas defienden que este tiempo compartido en familia, incluido el tiempo de ocio, reporta múltiples beneficios a quienes lo comparten, entre otros, en el bienestar (Maynard & Harding, 2010;Offer, 2014), en el desarrollo intelectual, psicológico y social de los individuos (Craig & Mullan, 2012;Shaw, 2008) , en la salud, en su concepción holista (Grosso et al, 2011;Pinxten & Lievens, 2014;Veenstra & Patterson, 2012), así como su contribución positiva a la participación de los hijos en actividades de ocio futuras (Devos, 2006). Este tiempo compartido contribuye también a incrementar el grado de satisfacción que el joven tiene con su vida familiar (Agate, Zabriskie, Agate & Poff, 2009;Barnes, Hoffman, Welte, Farrell & Ditcheff, 2007;Offer, 2013;Zabriskie & McCormick, 2001, 2003 de lo que se deriva que el hecho de compartir más tiempo en familia posibilita que progenitores e hijos disfruten de estos beneficios, lo que erige al tiempo compartido en familia en un indicador idóneo del bienestar familiar que depende, además de la cantidad de actividades compartidas, del tipo y la calidad de las mismas (Offer, 2014).…”

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

“…While more men are becoming more directly involved in their children's lives, much of this increased involvement is due to men's greater participation in leisure activities with their children, especially children's sports (Such, 2006), and men typically prefer engaging in play rather than other caregiving activities (Barclay & Lupton, 1999). Additionally, much of the leisure time fathers spend with children is in the company of mothers, who are presumably at least assisting with supervision and caretaking (Shaw, 2008). All of this suggests that men do not lose much in the way of leisure by becoming fathers, although they may perceive that they do.…”

“…Because wages generally increase with age, younger men should have a harder time providing economically for their families, which may depress importance of fatherhood scores (Hodges & Budig, 2010). However, young men report that they want to be parents and want to be emotionally involved with their children (Shaw, 2008) suggesting that even young men should have high importance of fatherhood scores. There is also some evidence that the importance of fatherhood may increase over the life course; parenthood is often seen as an "investment" in practical and social support in old age (Koropeckyj-Cox, 2002).…”

Identity work: young disabled people, family and sport

“…In western states, no longer is discourse of the family solely perceived as the partnership of two parents (female and male) and their children. Indeed, Shaw (2008) suggests that within contemporary society understandings about the family are constantly being negotiated and reconstructed. Scholars have pointed to the growth of dual-earning parents, changing gender roles in which males are no longer positioned as the 'breadwinner', reconstituted families brought about by remarriage, cohabitation and step-parenting, and families with same sex parents (Scott, Treas, & Richards, 2004).…”