Time, love and parentingthe role of fathers in the intergenerational transmission of advantage

Resumen

Over the last decades, fathers are getting involved in their children’s lives. The “New Fathers” are not expected to act as breadwinners but also to engage in their family life and take a similar responsibility than their partners in the care of their children. However, we know surprisingly ittle about how the new role of fathers in childcare varied during the last decades and how it affects children’s life chances. This dissertation aims to analyse how fathers’ involvement evolved during the Great Recession and how this involvement shapes children’s cognitive and non-cognitive development. To respond to these questions, the Spanish Time Use Surveys and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children are analysed. Overall, the results of this thesis show that fathers increased their involvement during the economic crisis and that involvement plays a relevant role in child development. Specially, when fathers engage in educational activities with their children and they display a warm but “consistent” parenting.