Gendered perceptions of father involvement in early 20th century America

• Published in: Journal of marriage and family Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 223 - 229
• Main Authors: LaRossa, R, Reitzes, D.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden National Council on Family Relations 01.02.1995; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Administrator Surveys; Animal parental behavior; Census Figures; Child Care; Child Health; Children; Coding; Conferences (Gatherings); Employment Level; Families & family life; Family (Sociological Unit); Fatherhood; Fathers; Gender differentiation; Grammar; History; History and organization of sociology; History, theory and methodology; Junior High Schools; Males; Men; Middle Class; Mothers; Parent Child Relations; parent-child relationships; Parenthood; Parents; Perception; Perceptions; Population size; Principals; Research Notes; Sex Differences; Sexes; sexual roles; Social Class; Social history; Sociology; Spouses; Syllables; U.S.A; United States Of America; Letter; Social Change; Perception of Others; Father involvement; Content Analysis; Father role; Gender difference; Historical approach; Perception; Paternity
• ISSN: 0022-2445; 1741-3737
• DOI: 10.2307/353830

In this article, we content analyze 256 letters written between 1925 and 1939 by middle-class fathers and mothers to nationally known educator and author Angelo Patri (1876-1965) to illustrate the degree to which perceptions of father involvement in the 1920s and 1930s varied according to the gender of the perceiver. The analysis points to the need for historical research that acknowledges men's "memories" and "voices," and suggests that the difference in father involvement over the course of the 20th century, while noteworthy, is not as sharp as some suppose.