Indian Fathers - Then and Now: Comparing and Contrasting Father’s Roles across Two Generations and Its Impact on Paternal Involvement

Anjula Saraff, Stanford University

Paternal involvement in childcare may be determined by different sets of determinants, paternal, maternal and/or child characteristics. Zoja (2001) observes, the role to be played by today’s father is taught by the fathers of the preceding generations. Using a sample of 350 Indian fathers, this study attempts to explore whether fathering has changed over two generations, and if yes, in what regard? The study further proposes to find out whether fathering received by an individual (as perceived by an individual) affects his paternal involvement. Findings indicate that fathers in the previous generation mostly portrayed themselves as disciplinarians to their children whereas present-day fathers in this role are on the decline. Results of multiple regression show that fathers who perceived that they have received low level of fathering are more likely to depict low paternal involvement. The study suggests that improving paternal involvement has important implications for the future generations.