CCF Symposium on Housework, Gender and Parenthood: Overview An introduction to the Council on Contemporary Families Online Symposium on Housework, Gender, and Parenthood by Stephanie Coontz, Council on Contemporary Families Director of Research and Public Education May 7, 2015 For many years, family researchers and working mothers have talked about “the second shift” – the […]
Topics of Expertise: Division of Labor in Families / Gender & Sexuality / Parenthood: Motherhood/FatherhoodParenthood: Motherhood/Fatherhood
Parenthood: Motherhood/Fatherhood
“Daddy’s Home!” Increasing Men’s Use of Paternity Leave

“DADDY’S HOME!” INCREASING MEN’S USE OF PATERNITY LEAVE This briefing is based on a study by Dr. Ankita Patnaik. The original paper is available here and is forthcoming in the Journal of Labor Economics. This research was funded by Cornell University. A briefing paper prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families By Ankita Patnaik, Cornell University April […]
Topics of Expertise: Child Welfare / Childcare (Providers & Systems) / Parenthood: Motherhood/Fatherhood / Work & FamilyWhy Every Day Should be Father’s AND Mother’s Day
As we celebrate Father’s Day 2011, the 1950s assumption that men take care of tasks outside the home while women take care of tasks inside the home is clearly out of date. In many metropolitan areas, women in their 20s earn more than their male counterparts. At all ages, the percentage of wives out-earning their husbands is growing rapidly. And as women take on a larger share of breadwinning, men have been taking on a larger share of household tasks.
Topics of Expertise: Parenthood: Motherhood/FatherhoodThe 100th Anniversary of Father’s Day: A Council on Contemporary Families Media Advisory
Fatherhood has changed dramatically since the inauguration of Father’s Day. While a father’s job was once primarily to “bring home the bacon,” dads are increasingly involved in all aspects of family life – reading to their kids, shuttling car pools, and offering a shoulder for the kids to cry on. Between 1965 and 2003, men tripled the amount of time they spent in child care. In honor of Father’s Day, here are some surprising and thought-provoking facts and figures about fatherhood today.
Topics of Expertise: Parenthood: Motherhood/FatherhoodChild’s Play: It’s Serious Business

Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D. Michael W. Barry Professor Director, Honors Psychology Program Professor of Psychology Creighton University Have you ever asked yourself why children need so much time to play, not only during the summer but all through the school year? Play is a crucial aspect of healthy development. Children are active learners who acquire new […]
Topics of Expertise: Child Welfare / Parenthood: Motherhood/FatherhoodEXPERTS
Associate Research Scientist, University of Michigan Institute for Social Research
Associate Professor, Department of Family Science & Human Development, Montclair State University
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Center for Family & Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University
Clinical Director, Perelman School of Medicine, Dept of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
Professor and Interim Department Chair of Policy Analysis and Management, Director of the Cornell Population Center, Cornell University
Professor of Psychology & Director of Center for Research on Families, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Research Scholar, Center for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, UC Berkeley; Senior Editor, Los Angeles Review of Books
Professor of Sociology and Director of the Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University Medical School; Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology, Boston Medical Center; American Family Therapy Academy; Boston Center for Culturally Affirming Practices