Gender equality during the transition to parenthood: A longitudinal study of dual-career couples in Singapore

Few studies of marital equality have addressed the issue in a collectivist context. This grounded theory analysis examined movement toward gender equality among 12 dual-career Singaporean couples interviewed as newlyweds and interviewed again five years later when all had children. The analysis focused on the relational processes that reproduced gender patterns and those that undid them. Whether or not parenting was shared depended on four factors: (a) mutual prioritization of women's careers; (b) fathers' willingness to restructure to actively engage in parenting; (c) conscious discussion of how to share parenting responsibility; and (d) availability of external support. Results suggest that to the extent that parenting is viewed as a shared family responsibility, the processes of gender equality may be somewhat different in collectivist contexts.