Men’s perspective in unions, fertility and parenthood

Despite improvements in gender equity, the massive participation of women in the labour market has not been accompanied by a substantial involvement of men in the family. Various explanations have been proposed for this gap. Some refer to essentialism or evolutionary theories; others emphasize power structures at the societal level and gender stereotypes; still others focus on the structure of the labour market, or on the lack of family policies, especially those which favour men’s involvement. Other research streams stress the gatekeeping role of women, acting as a barrier to men’s involvement. Still, many questions remain open. Is men’s involvement in the family evolving or stalling? How do the complexity of family structures, migration, and the multicultural character of societies diversify further men’s roles and behaviours?