The Roles and Contributions of Fathers in Families with School-Age Children in Hong Kong

Vicky C W TAM*, Rebecca S. Lam

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The present chapter examines fatherhood in contemporary Chinese families in Hong Kong by comparing fathers and mothers with regard to parenting style dimensions and parenting behaviors. It also investigates the influence of demographic factors on father attributes and analyses father’s unique contribution to school-related child outcomes. The sample comprised 461 child–mother–father triads in Hong Kong, with the children studying at Primary Level 3 to 5 at the time of the study. Results of this study show that the roles of Hong Kong fathers in child-rearing were peripheral when compared to that of the mothers: fathers were less nurturant, less involved in child’s education, and less efficacious in promoting child’s schoolwork. Analyses in this study indicate that education attainment was the dominant demographic factor that affects fathers’ behaviors. Finally, results show that fathers made unique contribution to child’s school-related performance in the areas of academic performance, efficacy for self-regulated learning and self-esteem. On the whole, this study shows that the roles of Chinese fathers in Hong Kong follow the traditional cultural patterns to a certain extent while it also provides strong support to the importance of fathers in enhancing children’s school-related performance. Implications on parent education and family policies are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInternational Handbook of Chinese Families
EditorsKwok-bun Chan
PublisherSpringer New York
Pages379-392
Number of pages14
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9781461402664
ISBN (Print)9781461402657, 9781493940509
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2012

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Social Sciences(all)

User-Defined Keywords

  • Parenting Style
  • Child Outcome
  • Psychological Control
  • Parental Attribute
  • Education Attainment

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Roles and Contributions of Fathers in Families with School-Age Children in Hong Kong'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this