Part-time work makes fathers unhappy

fathers who work 100 percent, are more satisfied than fathers to work part-time and are more likely to be home. Surprised?
in fact, I assumed that fathers would like to spend more time with your family. My study shows, however: fathers are happier when they can stay longer in the office. Full-time working fathers are even more satisfied than men without children, the work 100 percent. This at first glance surprising finding covers work on the second view with the findings of other research. Several older studies show that men, before the birth of their children often, they would reduce their workload after the birth. However, if the child is there, you are working more than before.

Because you will need to bring as fathers, more money home.
you Might think. But that's not true. The study shows that fathers take even more work if you bring financially nothing. But of course, the traditional idea of the man plays a role as a breadwinner. Some fathers understand their long working hours as a proof of Love.

Want to dividend full-time working fathers, just the Patriarchy? So on weekdays in the profession, Prestige and money collecting, and on the weekend the beautiful side of being a Father to enjoy?
At this point, a small, but important note: of Course, there are men, which makes it happy, if you work part time and stay at home. My study is simply the Average of the German fathers. There do not need to know everyone again. Your assumption that fathers would have done in a long time at the expense of the mothers have a nice life: I doubt it. An elaborate study from the USA shows that women in the 1970s were more satisfied than the men. Then, with increasing participation in the labour market, they were increasingly unhappy. Today, they are more dissatisfied than the men. Emancipation does not, therefore, necessarily happier. You can feel such a finding as a concern, I can understand.

Perhaps the between the bed and the stove, locked the house woman of the 1970s felt obliged to make a cheerful countenance and to play the always Satisfied.
With this presumption, you make the happiness research generally out of the question. This skepticism is widely used, has now been refuted, however, in numerous Tests. For instance, people who characterized themselves in the surveys as exceptionally happy, smiling more often than other respondents. Or that they were described by their Acquaintances as exceptionally satisfied. Or that they differ hormonally from those study participants, the dissatisfied rated. Anyone who has large data, such as the researchers of the above-mentioned US study, or who I economic panel works with the data of the Socio -, and indeed can provide reliable statements about how satisfied people are with their life.

What have you found to be the mothers?
here we have amazing results. Mothers have proven to be exceptionally satisfied. And the Astonishing thing is – it is not a big whether you work a lot or a little. You remain happy, whether at home or in the office. Men can only achieve the same satisfaction level as the mothers, if you can work full-time.

How do you explain this solid satisfaction?
I suspect that mothers in the home - how office work performance and recognition. Men define themselves much more about the work. The Father is there for you with too little satisfaction and Prestige associated and the absence of equivalent alternative role. Fathers are rapidly unfortunate, the more you reduce your workload. Part-time work makes you unhappy.

their study found that German mothers are most satisfied when they work for 20 per cent. You recommend this model?
no. This must account for each with himself. Who wants to follow consistently at the statistics, you should choose this model, Yes.

image to enlarge

image to enlarge Here, the graph including a scatter around the mean. Source: Martin Schröder

equal division of domestic and paid work the society's Ideal is today, at least in the urban environment – a Fifty-Fifty between a man and a woman. Their study is a powerful weapon in the hands of the traditionalists.
Don’t shoot the messenger! Personally, I have no pleasure in the Findings. But that's who they are. It is my job as a scientist to present the results of my research pure and as neutral as possible to the Public. The reactions in my environment, the member substantially to the said urban environment, were remarkably understanding, what I could not expect so.

A Thesis: part-time working men are a new phenomenon. Many of the fathers had, as a boy, a patriarchales role. Now you have the discrepancy. For younger generations, by contrast, part-time, of course.
in Principle this would be possible. However, the results have changed since 1984. Fathers are today, most were satisfied if you can work full-time. A change in the role of understanding, I can't find so far.

These two: In Western Europe, the work has a massively higher priority than the family. The beats on your study.
I extend my investigation, currently on other cultures. This research is not yet complete, but I can already say now that in other countries, the fathers prefer to work full-time. In a non-Western traditional, less developed country like Russia the satisfaction of the fathers is still far more than in Germany, depending on whether you can work full time or not. The big Test is then living, the study of Swedish fathers, who are in the most egalitarian country in the world.

third Thesis – it is the damned home work!
My study also takes into account families who send their children to nurseries and can afford to have employees who can relieve you of the housework. The finding remains amazingly the same. Fathers of such privileged families are most satisfied when they work full-time.

there Are indications that the escape of the fathers may have in the work of emotional reasons? That you struggle, for example, a bond to their children?
Our findings apply to fathers, they say, their commitment to their children was so tight. It also applies to fathers who say that they have a very close bond with their children. One way or the other: fathers are most satisfied when they work right for a long time.

The Swiss vote soon on paternity leave. Their study suggests that the Initiative focuses on the true Wishes of the fathers is over.
in My opinion a society should allow for different concepts of life, but to not draft certain life force. One should not push the men against their will from the work, and in the family work, unless you are willing to take a reduction in their life satisfaction. The paternity leave is nothing wrong with that, as long as it remains voluntary.

The women's quota you are sceptical about.
I'm not a critic of the women's quota. I will say however, as a sociologist: Who wants a quota of women, you must be aware that the men will thus almost certainly be dissatisfied – because the women's quota installed them career paths and specific job positions. We must ask ourselves whether the goal is to get more female senior managers, the rising discontent among the men is worth it. A company must think carefully about where you take the right, certain people, certain lifestyles require.

Biological arguments are frowned upon in gender debates. Also with them?
A delicate point. My record here is nothing. I had values about information on Testosterone, I could come closer to me, a meaningful biological question. But, of course, is now that I encounter in all the countries, similar results, gradually, the question: Is the "nurture" in fact, everything?

*This article first appeared on 4. July 2018 on the daily Gazette.ch/Newsnet. In the context of an annual review, we publish selected texts again. (editor-in-Tamedia)

Created: 26.12.2018, 12:41 PM