Girls’ Stuff? Maternal Gender Stereotypes and Their Daughters’ Fear

One of the most robust findings in psychopathology is the fact that specific phobias are more prevalent in women than in men. Although there are several theoretical accounts for biological and social contributions to this gender difference, empirical data are surprisingly limited. Interestingly, there is evidence that individuals with stereotypical feminine characteristics are more fearful than those with stereotypical masculine characteristics; this is beyond biological sex. Because gender role stereotypes are reinforced by parental behavior, we aimed to examine the relationship of maternal gender stereotypes and children’s fear. Dyads of 38 mothers and their daughters (between ages 6 and 10) were included. We assessed maternal implicit and explicit gender stereotypes as well as their daughters’ self-reported general fearfulness, specific fear of snakes, and approach behavior toward a living snake. First, mothers’ fear of snakes significantly correlated with their daughters’ fear of snakes. Second, mothers’ gender stereotypes significantly correlated with their daughters’ self-reported fear. Specifically, maternal implicit gender stereotypes were associated with daughters’ fear of snakes and fear ratings in response to the snake. Moreover, in children, self-reported fear correlated with avoidance of the fear-relevant animal. Together, these results provide first evidence for a potential role of parental gender stereotypes in the development and maintenance of fear in their offspring.

Coparenting and Parental Involvement During School Transition Among Chinese Mothers and Fathers: Children’s School Liking as a Moderator

Parental involvement is a vital social resource that helps children to deal with different challenges in their learning and development in the transition period and may be a strong determinant of children’s outcomes. While the role of fathers has been increasingly recognized, there has been a lack of studies examining the predictive role of mother and fathers’ coparenting to parental involvement and child readiness outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal association between coparenting behavior and parental involvement for parents with children in the transition to primary school in a Chinese context, and test whether children’s school liking moderated these associations. Using stratified random sampling, 324 children (Mage=70.57months, female=51%) and their parents from 10 kindergartens in Hong Kong participated in the study. Both mothers and fathers provided information about their spouse’s coparenting behavior at Time 1 (the final year of kindergarten), and their parental involvement at home and school at Time 1 and 2 (the first year of primary school). Children’s school liking was assessed by puppet interview at Time 1. Results indicated that maternal cooperation was positively associated with paternal involvement at home and in school, and paternal cooperation was positively associated with maternal involvement at home. Children’s school liking moderated the longitudinal associations between coparenting behavior (Time 1) and parental involvement (Time 2). Specifically, mothers of children with high levels of school liking were involved more in school when they perceived more cooperation from the spouse. Fathers of children with low levels of school liking were less involved in school when they perceived more cooperation, while involved more at home and in school when they perceived more triangulation from the spouse. Additionally, fathers perceiving more triangulation decreased their home involvement when the child reported high levels of school liking. Findings of this study revealed that coparenting, children’s school liking, and parental gender might be important to understanding parental involvement during school transition.

Gendered occupational aspirations among German youth: Role of parental occupations, gender division of labour, and family structure

Objective: This study investigates how multiple domains of parental gender role socialisation as well as parent-child relationships and family structure may shape adolescents’ gendered occupational aspirations. Background: Young people with gender-typical aspirations have a higher chance of choosing gender-typical post-secondary education fields and are more likely to work in gender-typical occupations as adults. Gender norms, family structures and parent-child relationships have undergone profound changes in recent decades. We extend the intergenerational transmission literature by considering whether the influence of parental role modelling may vary according to parent-child relationships and family structure. Method: We draw on data from 2,235 adolescents from the German Socio-Economic Panel and apply logistic regressions. Results: Children whose fathers were employed in gender-typical jobs had a greater likelihood of aspiring to a more gender-typical occupation. This relationship was not significant among sons who did not live continuously with both parents since birth, who were generally more likely to aspire to gender-typical occupations. Surprisingly, the gender-typicality of fathers' occupations seemed more influential among daughters whose parents had separated than among those who lived continuously with both parents. Regarding the parental gender division of paid and unpaid work, only mothers' continuous non-employment was associated with daughters being more likely to aspire to a gender-typical occupation. Conclusion: On the whole, our findings suggest a rather weak influence of parental gender role modelling on children’s persistently gendered occupational aspirations in Germany. Yet, our study extends existing family research by pointing to significant variations across family structures.

Gender Perspective in Research on Interventions in Children with Experiences of Parental Gender-Based Violence: Application of GPIHR Criteria

The aim of this study was to analyse the inclusion of a gender perspective (GP) in scientific production on interventions for a reduction in psychological distress in children who have experienced parental gender-based violence (CEXPGBV). To achieve this, a review of publications was carried out in the Web of Science, EBSCOhost, ProQuest and Cochrane Library databases. A total of 3418 records were found, and 44 items of research selected. For GP analysis, the questionnaire “Gender perspective in health research” (GPIHR) was applied and relationships with the terminology of violence were analysed, as well as the definition of term used, references to violence by men or received by women and the instruments used to assess these. Generally, the assessed studies do not contain a GP, since 70% of the GPIHR items were answered negatively. Likewise, 89% of research used general terms to refer to violence without referring to gender. These results show the importance of considering instruments such as GPIHR in both the planning and development of future research in order to avoid possible gender bias.

The Impact of Fatherhood on Men’s Health and Development

Fatherhood has a direct and substantial impact on men’s physical, mental and social health, and sense of paternal generativity over their life course. This chapter, the second of a pair in this volume, explores the bidirectional impact of fatherhood on men’s health in the perinatal period. It pulls together a scattered fatherhood literature and articulates six broad pathways by which fatherhood could potentially impact on men’s health and development, both positively and negatively. This systematic exploration represents a new focus for the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) field, especially in addressing the perinatal time period, a time not usually thought of as impacting on men’s health. This chapter attempts to establish a firmer scientific knowledge base and rationale to support new, targeted perinatal fatherhood health programs, policies, and research. Hopefully, these will also further contribute to the growing efforts to expand men’s and women’s parental gender role expectations and equity, and enhance the parenting health and men’s health movements. Similar to the dual orientation of the women’s preconception health initiatives, earlier, healthier, and more actively engaged fatherhood should lead to both improved reproductive and infant health outcomes and men’s own improved health across the life course.

Parent’s sociodemographic factors, physical activity and active commuting are predictors of independent mobility to school

Background Independent mobility (IM) provides young people with many opportunities to increase their autonomy and physical activity (PA). This study aimed to analyse whether the parent’s PA, active commuting to work and sociodemographic factors serve as predictors of IM to school in children and adolescents. Methods A total of 684 parents (52.8% mothers) and their offspring (56.4% girls) were included in this study, which was performed in Granada (Spain) and Valparaíso (Chile). The parents self-reported their sociodemographic characteristics, PA and mode of commuting to work. The mode of commuting to and from school and the offspring accompaniment mode were reported. T-test and chi-square test were used to study quantitative and qualitative differences by parental gender, respectively. Binary logistic regression models (odds ratio = OR) and stepwise analysis were performed to study the association between the parents’ sociodemographic variables and IM to school. Results Adolescents showed higher IM to school than children (58.9% vs 40.2%; p < 0.001). No car availability and shorter distance to work were positively associated with higher IM to school in children (OR = 2.22 and 2.29, respectively). Mothers' lower salary/month (OR = 2.75), no car availability (OR = 3.17), and mother passive commuting to work (OR = 2.61) were positively associated with higher IM to school in adolescents. The main predictor of IM to school in children and adolescents was no car availability (OR = 6.53). Conclusion Parental sociodemographic factors, such as salary, distance to work and car availability, were associated more strongly with IM than parental PA and active commuting to work.

Communicative functions of parents’ child-directed speech across dyadic and triadic contexts

This study examined the roles of parental gender and context in the communicative functions of parents’ child-directed speech. Seventy three families with toddlers participated in the study. Dyadic and triadic parent-toddler interactions were videotaped during structured play activities. Results indicated context-dependent variability in parents’ facilitative speech and gentle guidance. Parental gender effects were observed in parents’ directive speech but no gender or contextual effects were observed in parents’ referential speech. Results suggest the need for a closer examination of parental gender and contextual factors related to parents’ speech functions.

Princesses (Don’t) Run in the Mud: Tracing the Child’s Perspective in Parental Perceptions of Cultural Formation Through Outdoor Activities in Norwegian ECEs

By examining Polish parents’ perceptions of outdoor activities in Norwegian Early Childhood Education (ECE), this chapter discusses how focusing on the child’s perspective can change and challenge parental gender-related value positions, thereby changing perceptions of the cultural formation taking place through outdoor activities. The empirical data on the basis of which this question is answered are comprised of group interviews with 30 Polish migrant parents (18 mothers and 12 fathers) whose children were in Norwegian ECEs. The applied theoretical toolkit of a cultural historical wholeness approach (Hedegaard M, Mind Cult Act 19:127–138, 2012) enables the description of (parental) experiences of cultural formation through outdoor activities as anchored in the value positions established within and across involved societies. It also allows us to grasp those moments when the focus on the child’s perspective in outdoor activities challenges parental value positions and cultural traditions of heteronormativity. The concluding remarks point to the importance of enhancing both the child’s perspective and the specific plane of interpersonal interactions in ECE collaborations with parents and caregivers.