Fathering And Children's Sex Role Orientation In Korea

Adolescence, Winter, 2000 by Jang-Ae Yang

A total of 244 packets containing three booklets of questionnaires (1 mother, 1 father, and 1 child) were distributed to the students. One hundred and twenty-nine packets were returned (a 53% response rate).

Variable Domains and Instruments

Each father completed 6 scales (contained in one booklet) designed to investigate warmth of fathering, frequency of involvement with child, amount of involvement in parenting relative to wife (task share), and the extent of support received from wife in regard to parenting. Social desirability of responses was assessed using the Crown-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale (see Campbell, Converse, & Rogers, 1976). Sex role orientation was measured via the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974).

Each mother completed 7 scales (contained in one booklet) designed to investigate warmth of mothering, frequency of involvement with child, amount of involvement in parenting relative to husband (task share), and the extent of support received from husband in regard to parenting. The mother also completed a family information form, the Crown-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory.

Each student completed the Children's Sex Role Inventory (Boldizar, 1991).

RESULTS

Children's Sex Role Orientations and Parental Dimensions

Table 1 presents the correlation coefficients (Pearson's r) for children's sex role orientations specifically in terms of parents' sex role orientations and parenting. Girls' femininity was significantly correlated with fathers' masculinity (r = .28). Mothers' femininity (r = .02), warmth of fathering (r = .09), and frequency of father involvement (r = .06) were not significantly related to girls' femininity. In the case of boys, there were no significant correlations. Fathers' masculinity (r = .11), mothers' femininity (r = -.07), warmth of fathering (r = .00), and frequency of father involvement (r = .03) were not significantly correlated with boys' masculinity.

Multiple regression analyses were then performed to examine the effects of the parents' sex role orientations and parenting on children's sex role orientations (boys' masculinity and girls' femininity). Independent variables included fathers' masculinity, mothers' femininity, frequency of involvement, and warmth of fathering. The results are summarized in Table 2.

Using the forward entry method of regression, four parent variables--frequency of father involvement, mothers' femininity, fathers' masculinity, and warmth of fathering--explained 2% of the variance in boys' masculinity and 9% of the variance in girls' femininity. More specifically, boys' masculinity was associated primarily with fathers' masculinity (beta = .11) and mothers' femininity (beta = -.07). Girls' femininity was associated primarily with fathers' masculinity (beta = .28, p [less than] .05) and warmth of fathering (beta = -.11). Based on these results, Hypothesis 1 (femininity in daughters will be higher when there is higher masculinity in fathers and higher femininity in mothers, greater warmth of fathering, and greater frequency of father involvement) and Hypothesis 2 (masculinity in sons will be associated with higher masculinity in fathers and higher femininity in mothers, less warmth of fathering, and greater frequency of father involvement) were rejected.