Wilkes
Anna Wilkes
PSYC 2308-02
5 December 2017
Parenting Paper: Paternity Leave
Career vs. Family: How can this narrative change?
The birth of a child is a season of beautiful new beginnings, transitioning into new roles, and welcoming another member into a family unit. Throughout this semester in Child Development, I began to become more intrigued as to what parenting looks like from a developmental standpoint. Curiosity sparked questions which led to my inquisition surrounding the importance of healthy paternal roles in a child’s development. Within this discussion, I discovered from research that the inequalities that often perpetrate gender roles in society are heavily connected to the existence and nonexistence of policy. Within the United States, our current society is seeing a massive transition into a liberating movement with the uprising of women in the industrious and political realm. This shift caused me to inquire about the importance of parental leave and more specifically, paternity leave. Secured, paid time off for fathers, is equally as important as a women’s maternity leave as this levels the playing field and limits the notion of the mother having the sole responsibility as the primary caregiver.
HISTORY OF PARENTAL LEAVE
Without context, the mere topic of paternity leave could very well be an overlooked discussion, partly due to an unawareness of common practices found outside of the United States’ culture. By definition, parental leave is an employee benefit that a vast majority of countries have for parents to take paid or unpaid time off of work, often to care for a newborn child. This leave can include maternity, paternity, and adoption leave. The practice of maternity leave, often unpaid and short term, is the most commonly regarded norm to the average American (Scholar). In recent years, research covering the presence of fathers has spiked the current commonality of leave benefits in as many as ninety countries that provide men with paid leave from work to take care of newborns or sick family members (Scholar). In a 2014 study conducted by the International Labor Organization, it was identified that only two industrialized nations lack cash benefits for parental leave- this included the U.S and Papua New Guinea.
The United States is separated from leading industrialized nations located throughout Europe, particularly in terms of parental leave and supporting early childhood development (Waldfogel). This right to parental leave is a newly accepted privilege of new parents and is often unpaid and short. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), passed in 1993, was the first piece of legislation laying out parental leave rights. Some of these rights included a 12 week maternity leave from work if the employee works at a firm of at least 50 employees and works at least 1,250 hours in the year prior (FMLA). With these guidelines set in place, fewer than one-half of the United States’ private-sector workers are eligible for the guaranteed time off of work and there is no income replacement during the leave time.
Traditional gender roles largely come into play when considering parental leave policies, and most specifically, paternal leave from work within the United States. This stems from modern society integrating women into the workforce, thus needing to accommodate women’s health needs, including having a child. At the end of the day, equitable family leave policies will allow women to participate in the labor force more fully. This also challenges the notion of men being the full time workers and their female partner to be the stay at home caregiver. For this exact example, socially conservative politicians have seen no need to make changes and oppose legislation to expand family leave policy in the United States.
PATERNITY LEAVE IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD
According to the International Labour Organization (NLO), a sub agency for the United Nations, the overall pattern of paternity leave provisions has become more prevalent in recent years from 1994 to 2013. The ILO analyzed 141 countries for which data was provided on their labor statistics (Addati et al. 52). In 1994, 28 percent of the surveyed countries had legislated paternity leave provisions and by 2013 that number rose to 47 per cent (Addati et al. 53). This trend is a signal of the increasing importance of having fathers present before, during, and after the birth of a child. By looking at the numbers nearly doubling it can be inferred that modern culture is prioritizing men’s role in parenthood, including their responsibility to share the task of childcare and household work. This societal shift is helping break down traditional mindsets, freeing culture into greater equality between men and women at both home and workplace.
As discussed before, contrary to many European countries and other industrialized nations, the United States holds no concrete legislation for paternity leave, thus making the media conversation ever more dynamic and interesting. When analyzing American media surrounding paternal leave there was a huge difference in tone particularly in comparison to European conversations. In an article titled “Dads and Paternity Leave: Why They Should Take It” published by Metro Parent for Southeast Michigan, the writer tackles how scrutiny fell upon high profile status male individuals when they decided to take paternity leave. Major League Baseball player Daniel Murphy opted to take three days off from playing ball after this wife had their first child via a cesarean section procedure (Bluethmann). The ridicule of newspapers, sportscasters, and national television erupted hidden stigmas that American culture holds against a father’s role in their familial unit. These attitudes about fatherhood are reflected in corporate and national leave policies and truly exposes where a dad’s presence is expected in an unassuming American household. David Pisarra, a family law attorney, encapsulates the importance of encouraging widespread parental leave in this sentiment:
“There is more to manhood than bringing home a paycheck, the lessons a man can teach his children starts early and need to be recognized by society, and the best way for that to happen is for men to take paternity leave when they need to (Bluethmann).”
Widening the playing field of parental roles by encouraging paternity leave is not an action of maternal laziness but a token of honor for men to be able to participate in providing for their child’s basic needs, which promotes bonding and trust building.
PATERNITY LEAVE POLICY BENEFITS
Power, authority and status have long been associated with the paternal role, leaving mom home in domesticated duties. Male concerns about how extended time off would be perceived in the workplace was often cited as a main reason for not taking leave, followed by, an inaction of leave taking due to fathers not understanding what their own “utility” at home following the birth would be (Rehel. 124). These apprehensions hold fathers back from reaping the benefits that paternal leave offers.
The Department of Labor expresses unsung advantages that families can experience when fathers are allowed to take time off after a childbirth. Longer leave time allows fathers to have precious bonding time with their new child and encourages them to become engaged in the daily tasks required to care for a newborn. Beginning the father-child relationship as an involved and active figure sets the stage for the father to have long term patterns of involvement. According to the Department of Labor, a study was conducted that identified a group of working fathers in the US. In this study, those who took leave of “two weeks or more were much more likely to be actively involved in their child’s care nine months after birth.” This involvement included changing diapers, getting up in the night, and feeding the child. Studies show time and time again that the fathers who take longer paternity leave have higher “satisfaction with parenting and increased engagement in caring for their children (United States)."
Beyond the satisfaction of the father, children benefit from the presence of not only the mom at home but also the father. Children with fathers who are more engaged with their children have better developmental outcomes including behavioral, cognitive, and mental health. Taking this discussion to the classroom, the Department of Labor additionally cites a study which analyzed four OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries and found that longer paternity leaves is positively associated with higher cognitive test scores for their children (United States). Children need stability to mature and develop properly, the presence of actively engaged parental figures undoubtedly can explain for advanced cognitive function.
Conclusion
Paternity leave is not just a time for men to put their feet up and hold their newborns, but a time that is crucial to involving men in the commonly perceived “domestic” roles. When men take time off from work to be with their children, their parental bond is strengthened and healthy relationships between dad and baby begin to grow. In a larger scope, society also benefits as women are not seen as the ones single handedly responsible for the care and nurturing of the newborn child. The research is clear, America– it’s time for men to shake off their macho facade and adopt the role of being a father, free of gender roles.
Annotated References
Addati, Laura, and Cassirer, Naomi, and Gilchrist, Katherine. “Maternity and Paternity At Work:
Law and Practices At Work” International Labor Organizations, 2014.
This publication by the International Labor Organization reviews national law and practice, covering both maternity and paternity in 185 countries and territories. This included leave, benefits, employment protection, health protection, breastfeeding arrangements at work and childcare. This source gave me valuable information on other countries and their family leave policies so that I could draw out comparisons to the United States’ own legislation on this matter. I felt confident using this information as the ILO is a sub agency of the United Nations, an international organization with world renowned credibility.
Bluethmann, Jacquie Goetz. “Dads and Paternity Leave: Why They Should Take It.” Metro
Parent, 8 September 2017.
This easily accessible article was found on Metro Parent, a news source and magazine in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan. Metro Parent is a highly regarded publication in the region and often has academic contributions from researchers in the state of Michigan. I chose to include information used in this article to gain an understanding on common talk and a media source’s take on paternity leave in the United States. Bluethmann discusses the backlash that predominant figures in American pop culture received when taking paternity leave which allowed me to draw conclusions about a common American’s perspective on the matter.
Rehel, Erin M. “When Dad Stays Home Too: Paternity Leave, Gender, and Parenting.”
Youngstown State University, GENDER & SOCIETY, Vol. 28 No. 1, February 2014.
Rehel argues that by drawing fathers into the daily realities of child care, time off from work provides the space necessary for fathers to cultivate parenting skills and a greater sense of responsibility. The article states that with paternity leave, the dynamic of coparenting can create gender equity in a labor perspective. The audience of this publication is one of higher education as it is a well researched essay. Rehel uses various academic articles and studies to come to her conclusions.
Sholar, Megan A. “The History of Family Leave Policies in the United States.” Organization of
American Historians, 2016.
This article, the second of my common sources, was an easy read packed with valuable
Information. Megan Sholar’s breakdown on the history of family leave policy in the United States gave me valuable context to move forward with this paper. The Organization of American Historians is a well regarded and reliable source of information and aided me well in my research process.
United States Department of Labor. “DOL policy brief : paternity leave : why parental leave for
fathers is so important for working families.” June 2015.
The Department of Labor briefing on paternity leave was an interesting read as it comes straight from the U.S. government, who largely is inactive in assuring family leave protection across the board. Throughout the briefing, the benefits of paid parental leave is discussed.The need for policies that ensure fathers have the support they need to prioritize their family responsibilities, while also meeting work demands was outlined in this document. Coming straight from the government, this report is based on credible information that can be unanimously trusted as it was written by academics within the field.
Waldfogel, Jane. “International Policies toward Parental Leave and Child Care.” Princeton
University: The Future of Children, Vol. 11, No. 1, Caring for Infants and Toddlers (Spring – Summer, 2001), pp. 98-11.
Jane Waldfogel publication “International Policies toward Parental Leave and Child Care” was a pivotal document in my research as it comprehensively broke down policies across industrialized nations and opened my eyes to the journey that America has before us in terms of parental leave legislation. This article describes policies regarding several European nations, seeking flexible parental leave, childcare, and early childhood solutions for parents. It then breaks down contrasts between North American/ the United States with the rest of the world in terms of family dynamics in the workplace. This information comes from a well regarded and highly funded research institution, Princeton University, and offers a holistic approach to this topic.