4. Background
Cook et al, 1982:
– Attitudes towards marriage on the increase The idea
that “marriage without children is not fully complete''
– Attitudes towards having children on the decrease
• Preference given to other priorities in life:
– career, money making, fun, self denial
5. Transition to the parenthood
• The change of married couple to parenthood is considered a
“critical role transition point”
– Aldous, 1978
• Some authors present the transition to parenthood as a usual
event that can easily be predicted and managed
– Charting Parenthood, 2002
• It proves the fact that both personal and marital stress
increase after becoming a parent
6. • Multicultural Health Communication Centre, June 2003:
– Research also shows that parenthood could be a reason of
feelings like: anger, stress, guilt, confusion, and anxiety
Influence on life satisfaction?
7. Gender roles
• Gender role attitudes shape parental attitudes differentially for
men and women Bernhartdt & Goldscheider, 2006
• Orientation towards transitions to fatherhood :
– Coltrane, 1996
– Nielsen, 1999
8. Research Question
• Do males and females report different levels
of life satisfaction after becoming parents?
9. Main Goals
To define changes in life attitudes in female and Research
male after becoming a parents
To evaluate changes in life preferences before Survey
and after parenthood
To prove or deny the hypothesis of gender
Analyses
influence on peoples’ life satisfaction after
parenthood
10. Methodology: Questionnaire
• General information:
– gender, age, country and number of children.
7 main
priorities • Before parenthood:
– rank of life priorities 0 – 100%
– scale of time spent on those activities;
– level of life satisfaction.
• After parenthood:
– rank of life priorities
– scale of time spent on those activities;
Not Satisfied
– level of life satisfaction. Very Satisfied
11. Family
Sport/Health Friends
Self-
Career
Improvement
Main
Money categories Other
Making of life
attitude
13. Ranking of priopities with life BEFORE parenthood
6
5
4
The rank of priority
3
2
1
0
Money
Career Family Sport/health Friends Self-improv. Other
making
Male 3.1 5 5.1 3.3 4.5 4.4 2.6
Female 4.56 5.63 4.88 3 3.88 4.44 1.63
14. Ranking of priorities in life AFTER parenthood
7
6
The rank of priority
5
4
3
2
1
0
Money
Career Family Sport/health Friends Self-improv. Other
making
Male 3.6 4.7 5.4 4.2 4.8 3.4 1.9
Female 4.13 4.81 6.38 3.06 3.38 4.25 2
15. Distinctions in rank of priorities in life by gender
2
1.5
1.5
1 0.9
0.5
0.5 0.3 0.3 0.37
0.06
0
-0.19
-0.5 -0.3
-0.43 -0.5
-0.7
-1 -0.82
-1
-1.5
Money
Career Family Sport/health Friends Self-improv. Other
making
Male 0.5 -0.3 0.3 0.9 0.3 -1 -0.7
Female -0.43 -0.82 1.5 0.06 -0.5 -0.19 0.37
16. Amount of time (%) spent on the following priority BEFORE
parenthood: gender differences
35
30
25
Time, %
20
15
10
5
0
Money
Career Family Sport/health Friends Self-impr. Other
making
Male 20 20.5 18.3 11.7 16.3 7.9 5.3
Female 19.38 29.56 22.06 5.56 10.19 8.69 4.56
17. Amount of time (%) spend on the following priority AFTER
parenthood: gender differences
40
35
30
25
Time, %
20
15
10
5
0
Money
Career Family Sport/health Friends Self-impr. Other
making
Male 23.7 12.5 34 7.7 9.8 8.1 4.2
Female 14.56 17.88 37.19 6.69 9.13 11.31 3.25
18. Distinctions in time spending by gender
20
15.13
15.7
15
10
5 3.7
2.62
1.13 0.2
0
-1.06 -1.1-1.31
-5 -4
-4.82
-6.5
-10 -8
-11.68
-15
Money
Career Family Sport/health Friends Self-impr. Other
making
Male 3.7 -8 15.7 -4 -6.5 0.2 -1.1
Female -4.82 -11.68 15.13 1.13 -1.06 2.62 -1.31
19. Conclusions from figures:
• there are no direct relation between the ranking of priorities
and time spent for the specific activity
• For male:
• – the level of priority in per cent for such activities as
sport/health, friends, career and self improvement are high
then the per cent of time spent for these actions;
• the level of priority in per cent for activities such as family and
money making is less than the per cent of time spent.
20. Conclusions from figures:
• For female:
• – the level of priority in per cent for such activities as sport/health,
friends and self improvement are high then the per cent of time
spent for these actions;
• the level of priority in per cent for activities such as family is less than
the per cent of time spent.
• The gap between priorities and time spent for male is 1.7 time more
than for female
21. Level on satisfaction from life BEFORE/AFTER
having children: gender differences
3.94
After
3.90
4.13
Before
3.20
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
Female Male
22. Conclusions
• Birth of a child makes females feel less satisfied in life in
contrast to male who feel more satisfied.
• Before becoming a parent females have opportunities to spent more
time for such activities as:
– as money making and career, what make them feel more
independent and self-confident;
– part of females has to combine motherhood and work, or part
time work.
23. Changing in level on satisfaction from life before and after having
children: gender and age differences
1.2
1
1
0.8
0.6
0.6 0.5
0.4
0.2 0
0
-0.2
-0.15
-0.4
-0.4
-0.6
>25 25-30 <30
Male 0.6 0.5 1
Female -0.4 -0.15 0
