The transition to parenthood in Spain: adaptations to ideals

Abstract

The experience of the transition to parenthood in Spain in this edited volume is strongly influenced by the economic crisis, 2008-2014. The vast majority of the couples interviewed for this study spoke about the precariousness of the labour market, job insecurity and not being able to make ends meet on just one paycheck. When the interviewed Spanish parents-to-be added all the leaves they were entitled to-16 weeks of maternity leave, two weeks of paternity leave, two to four weeks of breastfeeding leave and holiday leave-they ended up with approximately 6 months of paid leave. After that, in most cases, both parents had to return to paid work because of economic reasons. Despite most couples expressing reluctance to send under 1-year-olds to childcare centres, the interviewed parents-to-be planned to combine different kinds of care in the second half of the first year of their child's life. Mothers planned to take part-time parental leave while using childcare services and asking grandparents for help with the child during their paid work hours. Spanish ideals about good motherhood and fatherhood were still rather traditional. In the interviews, mothers were considered 'by nature' closer to the child and responsible for childcare. Yet, we also saw signs of the 'new fatherhood' ideal, constructed in opposition to previous generations of distanced fathers. Some men were willing to become very involved in childcare and planned to adapt their jobs. In addition, the economic crisis was mirrored in the emergence of a group of 'crisis dads', consisting of unemployed men who envisioned themselves as the main carer in response to not being able to be the main provider.

Why Is Part-time Unpaid Parental Leave (Still) Gendered? Narratives and Strategies of Couples in Spain

“…Romero-Balsas et al (2013) concluded that there is a contrast between fathers who take shorter periods of leave and consider leave a right but not a duty, and more-involved fathers who conceptualize time off as their responsibility and a commitment to their families. Similarly, the TransParent project (Abril et al, 2015; González et al, 2013; González & Jurado-Guerrero, 2015; Seiz et al, 2016) has documented the emergence of a “new fatherhood” in Spain and it classifies fathers as committed, helper , or occasional fathers. Committed fathers hold very egalitarian attitudes, have flexible working conditions, and are less career-oriented than their partners.…”

“…The men in this category—who were approximately equally divided between childless and already a parent—believed that mothers are better caregivers than fathers, and they tended to justify their unequal division of labor by relying on a biological discourse and arguing that since they cannot breastfeed a baby, they are less necessary during early childhood. A detailed approach to this kind of reasoning can be found in Seiz et al (2016). Some men in this group were aware of the uneven division of labor and reported some type of intra-couple conflict.…”

Fathers as Solo Caregivers in Spain: A Choice or a Need?

“…Conditions such as being underworked, unable to externalize childcare, or having nonstandard schedules may explain childcare arrangements among spouses to a greater extent than gender attitudes (Deutsch, 1999). With regard to orientation to work, working-class men may be more likely to have an instrumental relationship with their jobs, be somehow “disenchanted” with the labor market, and be more willing to be involved in family activities (Domínguez-Folgueras, Jurado-Guerrero, Botía-Morillas, & Amigot-Leache, 2017b; Seiz et al, 2016). Managers are not only strongly work oriented but also usually integrated in organizational cultures where deviating from traditional masculinity may be more penalized (Abril et al, 2015).…”