Source: RNO/130/04 Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Trends in Singapore

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Trends: A Problem? Quah (1998) proposes three reasons: 1.Limited talent pool 2.Reduction of labour force as a obstacle for sustained high growth 3. Ageing population

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Trends: A Problem? Implications of trend in labour force participation rates –Mothers might be spending less time at home –Decrease in mother’s household time might not be adequately compensated by an increase in father’s household time –Demand for caregiver services might increase…but can these be perfect substitutes to parents’ time?

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Do Fathers Play a Role? The four editions of Lamb’s The Role of the Father in Child Development have been documenting research on the importance of paternal involvement for almost three decades Allen and Daly (2002) present a summary of research evidence with regards to the importance of the father on child development in terms of cognitive, emotional and social skills

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Intergenerational Effects Axinn and Thornton (1996) –Parental divorce, remarriage and widowhood have strong effects on children’s family formation-related attitudes and behaviour –Results support their hypothesis that parents’ attitudes act as an intervening mechanism that link parents’ marital experience and children’s attitudes –However, their study only focuses on mothers

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Intergenerational Effects Feng et al. (1999) –Primary focus is on the intergenerational transmission of marital quality and instability –Found evidence of transmission of divorce from parents to daughters but not to sons –Asymmetric effects of fathers and mothers’ negative sentiment on son’s marital outcomes

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Father’s Role Kapinus (2004) –Parental attitudes on divorce have the greatest influence on children during their late teens –Fathers have more influence on sons’ attitudes than mothers –Parental divorce, net of parental attitudes, has only a significant effect on daughters attitudes –Post divorce conflict and reduced closeness to the father (after divorce) are associated with prodivorce attitudes among daughters but less positive attitudes among sons

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Father’s Role Risch, Jodl and Eccles (2004) –Closeness of father-adolescent relationship, regardless of father type, predicts sons’ greater confidence in marriage stability

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Are these results evident in Singapore? Is there intergenerational transmission of family formation attitudes among Singaporean families?

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Overview of Project Involves two parts: 1.Empirical research on the intergenerational transmission of family formation attitudes in Singapore 2.Microeconomic Model of Father Involvement (Abito 2004)

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Empirical Research Conduct a survey of Secondary and/or Junior College students regarding their own family formation attitudes, their perception of their own father’s, and, if possible, their father’s attitudes (to be gathered directly) Join activities organised by the Centre for Fathering, Singapore to observe highly- involved fathers Interview involved fathers regarding possible transmission/socialisation mechanisms

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 Microeconomic Model Extension of a model developed in a paper to be presented at the Southwestern Economics Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, th March 2005 Endogenisation of the technological parameter ( γ ) pertaining to the perceived importance of father’s child rearing time on the production of his children’s human capital

Source: Research Project on the Intergenerational Transmission of Family Formation Attitudes: Do Fathers Play a Role? Jose Miguel M. Abito 13 January 2005 References Abito, Jose Miguel M. (2004), “A Microeconomic Model of Father Involvement,” to be presented at the 85th SWEA Annual Meeting, draft can be accessed at Allen, Sarah and Kerry Dale (2002). “The Effects of Father Involvement: A Summary of the Research Evidence.” The FII-ONews. Vol. 1, Axinn, William G. and Arland Thornton (1996). “The Influence of Parents’ Marital Dissolutions on Children’s Attitudes Toward Family Formation.” Demography. Vol. 33 No.1, Feng, Du, Roseann Giarrusso, Vern L. Bengtsong and Nancy Frye (1999), “Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Quality and Marital Instability,” Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 61, No. 2, Kapinus, Carolyn A. (2004), “The Effect of Parents’ Attitudes Toward Divorce on Offspring’s Attitudes: Gender and Parental Divorce as Mediating Factors,” Journal of Family Issues, VAol. 25, No. 1, Quah, Stella R. (1998), Family in Singapore: Sociological Perspective, 2nd ed., Singapore: Times Academic Press. Risch, Sharon C., Kathleen M. Jodl and Jacquelynne S. Eccles (2004). “Role of Father-Adolescent Relationship in Shaping Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Divorce.” Journal of Marriage and Family. Vol. 66, Statistics on Marriages & Divorces, Singapore: Department of Statistics, Various Issues. Yearbook of Statistics, Singapore: Department of Statistics, Various Issues.