Pathways to Impact: The example of our research partnership with Working Families Colette Fagan and Helen Norman University of Manchester 9 October 2017 TRIAD Researcher Workshop, 9-12 October 2017 Transition to parenthood in a cross-cultural context: Pathways to Impact University of Manchester, UK

Mind the Gap – gender inequalities research in the School of Social Sciences (SoSS) http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/research/research-on-film/ To provide some context to our presentation we open with a film highlighting the range of gender inequalities research which is undertaken in the School of Social Sciences – Mind the Gap

Our research focus: Gender inequalities in employment and household work European comparative analysis and policy engagement REF impact case study for sociology. Further details at: http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/sociol ogy/research/impact/informing-international- employment-policies/

Presentation outline The project genesis – prior research The project: Which fathers are involved in looking after their children? Working Families - building a partnership Lessons for building partnerships Potential impact - Why is the research important? Pathway to impact devised with Working Families Communicating to a wider audience Quantitative analysis Qualitative project Summary and conclusions

The project genesis – prior research Our European comparative research on men’s care roles/household division of work and working-time (e.g. Fagan 2010, Fagan and Norman 2013) Helen Norman (2010) ‘Involved Fatherhood’: the conditions associated with childcare and housework’, University of Manchester doctoral thesis Post-thesis publications (Norman, Elliot and Fagan 2014; Fagan and Norman 2014; 2016; Norman 2014)

The Project Which fathers are involved in looking after their children? Identifying the conditions associated with paternal involvement Award: ESRC Secondary Data Analysis Initiative (Phase 3) Award holders: Dr Helen Norman (PI), Professor Colette Fagan (Co-I), Professor Mark Elliot (Co-I), School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester. Project partner: Working Families (http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/). Dates: 1 February 2016 – 31 July 2017 URL: http://projects.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/involved- fathers/

3 key design elements are the focus of our presentation Project partner: Working Families Effective communication of statistical results to reach a wide audience Longitudinal analysis of 5 sweeps of the Millennium Cohort Study Qualitative research to inform quantitative analysis 30 Qualitative interviews with fathers http://www.cmist.manchester.ac.uk/research/projects/which-fathers- are-looking-after-their-children/

Working Families Working Families is the UK’s leading charity organisation dedicated to advancing policies to enhance work-life balance. Run a helpline to advise parents and carers about their employment rights Conduct research and run campaigns Support and advise employers about how to create inclusive workplaces which encourage work-life balance for all http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/

How we built our partnership with Working Families Initial collaboration and relationship building via an ESRC funded seminar series http://www.esrc-work-life-seminars.org/ Fagan in Lewis, S. et al (2016)

Developing a partnership Ideas Pitch - we asked to meet to discuss our plans and gain advice (with Jonathan Swan, Policy and Research Officer at Working Families): Our research ideas and plans for an ESRC grant application Why we thought this was relevant for WF Outline resource request (modest in this example) Explored points of connection with WF’s interests Work and family policy agenda Policy context – engaging fathers Shared Parental Leave, Flexible working Childcare Advice work with parents and employers Contributions to WF’s work programme Developing research ideas with WF - the partnership is a two-way process: they can support us but it is also important to support WF too…. i.e. need to think about how the partnership/research will benefit them/appeal to their own research goals

Lessons for building partnerships? Do the groundwork Identify who you want to partner with, and why Make an initial approach Easier via networks and conversations at events rather than a ‘cold call’ approach Has much in common with the practical research skills of negotiating access to a busy person/organisation Ideas Pitch – succinct, engaging and headlines Your ideas (what) Relevance for the organisation you are approaching (why) Initial plan for how to deliver the project (how) Outline research request (Modest contribution in kind? Larger contribution in kind? Cash?) Be flexible - refine and adapt project plan to build on points of connection and mutual interests Research questions Pathway to impact plan (events, blogs, briefing papers…)

Potential Impact: why is the research important? Our findings will… Inform policy debates concerning parenting, child wellbeing and development, the rights and responsibilities of fathers and ‘work-life balance’. Contribute to employment policy and workplace innovations by generating new knowledge about how men and women’s employment hours and schedules can enable or hinder father’s involvement at home Help employers to provide practical innovations to facilitate work-family reconciliation

Pathway to Impact: devised with Working Families Policy briefings and blogs Policy@Manchester and Working Families Related briefings for WF that extend beyond the immediate project focus (profile building) Planned presentations at non-academic events (as well as academic dissemination plans) Working Families programme of employer-led and policy focused events (breakfast briefings, conferences, etc.) Dissemination beyond WF to other key organisations and our networks e.g. Equality and Human Rights Commission, TUC, European Commission’s European Network of Experts on Gender Equality, Eurofound Press releases, with support from the University of Manchester’s Press Office Articles for media (e.g. The Guardian?)

Results: Communicating the findings to non-specialist audiences

What influences paternal involvement at age 3? Data Millennium Cohort Study (sample = 9,189 heterosexual two- parent households) Sweep one (2001-2) – child is aged 9 months Sweep two (2003-4) – child is aged 3 years Measure of ‘paternal involvement’ Who is mostly around & generally looks after the child (at age 3)? 26% shared carers; 73% secondary carers; (1% primary carers– removed) Method Longitudinal logistic regression Sources: Norman, Elliot and Fagan (2014); Fagan and Norman (2016)

Connelly, S. et al. (2016): Britain’s slow movement to a Gender Egalitarian Equilibrium: Parents and Employment in the UK 2001 – 2013, Work, Employment and Society

What makes fathers involved (i. e What makes fathers involved (i.e. share childcare) when child is 3 years old? *p <0.05; **p <0.01; ***p <0.001

What makes fathers involved (i. e What makes fathers involved (i.e. share childcare) when child is 3 years old? *p <0.05; **p <0.01; ***p <0.001

What makes fathers involved when the child is aged 3? Sharing childcare in the first year of the child’s life Previous employment hours of the father and mother (worked 9 months after the child’s birth) Mothers’ (full-time) employment hours when the child is aged 3 Fathers’ working short/standard full-time hours

Summary and conclusion Building partnerships Identify who you want to partner and why Ensure ideas are succinct, engaging Be flexible Develop an impact plan Why is the research important? Dissemination of results with partner and to other organisations (e.g. briefings, blogs, events) Communicating findings Know your audience! Present data in a simple way Summarise headline findings

References Project URL: http://projects.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/involved- fathers/ Fagan, C. and Norman, H. (2013) ‘Men and gender equality: tackling gender equality in family roles and in social care jobs’ in F. Bettio, J. Plantenga and M. Smith (Eds) Gender and the European Labour Market, Routledge: Oxon, UK. Fagan, C., Norman, H. (2016): ‘What makes fathers involved? An exploration of the longitudinal influence of fathers’ and mothers’ employment on father’s involvement in looking after their pre-school children in the UK’ in Crespi, I., Ruspini, E. (ed): Balancing work and family in a changing society: the father’s perspective, Palgrave MacMillan: Basingstoke Norman, H. and Fagan, C. (2017) What makes fathers involved in their children’s upbringing? Working Families Work Flex Blog, 20 January 2017: https://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/workflex-blog/father-involvement/ Norman, H., Watt, L., Fagan, C. (2017) What should mums and dads do? Changes in attitudes towards parenting, Working Families Work Flex Blog, 27 March 2017: https://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/workflex-blog/what-should- mums-and-dads-do-changes-in-attitudes-towards-parenting/ Norman, H., Elliot, M. and Fagan, C. (2014) ‘Which fathers are the most involved in taking care of their toddlers in the UK? An investigation of the predictors of paternal involvement’, Community, Work & Family, 17:2, 163-180