Changing Social Expectations for Work and Family Involvement Among Korean Fathers

Abstract

In this study, we explore the gap between the culture and conduct of paternal involvement with children among Korean middle-class and workingclass fathers. Using interview data from thirtytwo fathers following a period of national economic crisis, we find that Korean fathers negotiated among three contradictory and often ambiguous sets of cultural expectations: traditional Confucian fatherhood; work success as measure of good fatherhood; and "new" fatherhood that embraces providing and caregiving roles. Family involvement was limited for all fathers, although care for children was most directly shaped by strict or flexible working schedules. Middle class and working class fathers used different strategies to reduce the gap between conflicting cultural expectations for paternal caregiving and low levels of actual involvement with children, including delayed fatherhood, lowered expectations, and segregated roles.