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Family Gender Role and Guilt in Spanish Dual-Earner Families

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Abstract

In dual-earner families the balance between work and family demands facilitates the development of guilt feelings when parents perceive a non-fulfillment of their responsibilities in childcare. Specifically, women who aspire to personal and professional development on the basis of more egalitarian gender role models must deal with the traditional stereotypes that maintain an intensive maternity mandate that prioritizes the family. On the other hand, for men the role change is primarily in the family setting with the development of a new father role more involved in the care of their children, which is not easily compatible with the more traditional breadwinner role. This study explored the feelings of guilt about parenting in 251 employed Spanish parents with children between 3 and 6 years of age, through the Scale of Guilt Feelings about Parenting, and its relationship with traditional stereotypes of maternal and family role. The scale addresses diverse situations pertaining to child rearing in which work requirements do not allow parents full availability for the care of their children. This availability is present in the model of intensive maternity and in the new father role model. Results indicate the presence of similar and high levels of guilt in fathers and mothers, although in men guilt is related to a non-traditional family role ideology, whereas in women guilt is related to a more traditional maternal role stereotype.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Work and Social Issues, Women’s Institute (I+D+I Exp. 75/05).

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Correspondence to Pilar Martínez.

Appendix

Appendix

Scale of Feelings of Guilt about Parenting

Assess the degree of guilt that the following situations could generate in you, whether or not they occur currently in your life:

Not at all guilty

A little guilty

Fairly guilty

Very guilty

1

2

3

4

  1. 1.

    Resorting frequently to fast food.

  2. 2.

    Delegating to others the task of taking my child to the doctor.

  3. 3.

    Sending my child to school when he/she does not feel very well (a very slight fever, some discomfort…).

  4. 4.

    Frequently missing school activities programmed for parents in which my child participates.

  5. 5.

    Not participating in school activities promoted by the parents during school hours (telling stories, autumn activities, workshops…).

  6. 6.

    Not paying all the attention my child demands because I have other tasks to do.

  7. 7.

    Spending a significant part of the evening on affairs that are unrelated to family.

  8. 8.

    Losing my temper with my child easily because I am affected by issues unrelated to family.

  9. 9.

    Not inviting other children home more frequently because of the extra work involved.

  10. 10.

    Delegating to others the task of taking my child to and from school.

  11. 11.

    Having to send my child to summer camp because I cannot attend to him/her.

  12. 12.

    Not earning enough income to satisfy the demands of my child (extra-academic activities, clothes, games…).

  13. 13.

    Playing with my child for less time than I would like.

  14. 14.

    Not being able to spend time with my child when we are at home because I must perform tasks that do not concern the family

Spanish Version

Escala de Sentimientos de Culpa en la Crianza

Evalúe el grado de culpabilidad que le podrían generar las siguientes situaciones, tanto si se dan actualmente en su vida como si no llegan a darse:

Nada culpable

Poco culpable

Bastante culpable

Muy culpable

1

2

3

4

  1. 1.

    Recurrir con frecuencia a comida precocinada

  2. 2.

    Delegar en otros el llevar a mi hijo/a al médico

  3. 3.

    Enviar a mi hijo/a al colegio cuando no se encuentra bien del todo (décimas de fiebre, ligeras molestias…)

  4. 4.

    Faltar con frecuencia a las funciones escolares programadas para los padres en las que participa tu hijo/a

  5. 5.

    No participar en actividades escolares promovidas por los padres en horario escolar (cuentacuentos, actividades de otoño, talleres…)

  6. 6.

    No darle toda la atención que demanda de mí porque tengo que hacer otras tareas

  7. 7.

    Tener ocupada una parte significativa de la tarde por cuestiones no familiares

  8. 8.

    Perder más fácilmente con mi hijo/a los nervios al estar afectado/a por cuestiones ajenas a la familia

  9. 9.

    No invitar con más frecuencia a otros niños/as a casa por el trabajo extra que implica

  10. 10.

    Delegar en otros el llevar/traer a mi hijo/a del colegio

  11. 11.

    Tener que llevar a mi hijo/a a campamentos durante el verano por no poder atenderle

  12. 12.

    No ganar los suficientes ingresos para satisfacer demandas de mi hijo/a (actividades extraescolares, ropa, juegos…)

  13. 13.

    Jugar con mi hijo/a menos tiempo del que me gustaría

  14. 14.

    No poder pasar tiempo con mi hijo/a cuando estamos en casa por tener que realizar tareas ajenas a la familia

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Martínez, P., Carrasco, M.J., Aza, G. et al. Family Gender Role and Guilt in Spanish Dual-Earner Families. Sex Roles 65, 813–826 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0031-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0031-4

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