Adolescent boys’ and girls’ views of fatherhood in the context of the changing women’s position

Abstract

The present study aims at exploring how Greek adolescents understand the notion of fatherhood. One hundred and ten pupils (64 boys and 46 girls), who attended four high schools of the area of Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study; they were aged from 14‐ to 16‐years. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data were selected through two instruments: (a) a semi‐structured questionnaire; and (b) ‘Helen’s and George’s dilemma’, in which pupils were asked to end a story offering a solution. According to the findings from both parts of the study, adolescents seem to maintain traditional views of fatherhood in the sense that fatherhood and motherhood are associated with different characteristics, behaviours and values. In some cases, however, a different view of fatherhood emerged through the pupils’ descriptions: this involved the idea of shared rather than gender specific roles for both spouses. Results are further discussed in relation to their implications in the school context.