Fathers' Uptake of Parental leave in South Korea and Beyond: Determinants and Aftermaths

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

My research aims to examine the role of fathers' uptake of parental leave for gender equality and work and family life in South Korea and beyond by building on my doctoral research.Fathers' leave is promoted in various countries around the world, often with the expectation that it will contribute to addressing problems such as gender inequality in the division of housework and childcare, low fertility, and work-family imbalance. My PhD research offers evidence against these expectations in South Korea, where the fathers' leave uptake rate is very low and levels of work-family balance and gender inequality high. I find little evidence that fathers' leave further equalises the gendered division of housework and childcare; fathers report lower fertility intentions after taking leave; and the relationship between fathers' uptake of leave and work-family balance is not straightforward. This is because, on one hand, fathers taking (long) leave often signals poor work-family balance in the Korean context, and on the other hand, fathers who become family-oriented during leave tend to quickly revert to work-centred lifestyles upon returning to work. I argue that in order to address the chronic work-family conflict in Korea, fathers' leave alone is not sufficient. I call for further reforms to support work-family balance of dual-earning couples with young children, on one hand by increasing fathers' leave uptake rate, but also by reducing standard working hours and improving the quality of childcare services.During the ESRC fellowship, I will update the unpublished chapter from my thesis and expand on my research with a comparative perspective. I will compare Korean fathers' parental leave uptake patterns and outcomes with that of British, German, and Japanese fathers. These countries have all been laggards in developing fathers' leave policies but have seen varying levels of success in increasing fathers' uptake. A comparative angle will provide important insights into what drives heterogeneities between different countries and what underperforming countries may learn from more successful cases. I will share the findings from my research to both academic audiences and non-academic stakeholders such as policy thinktanks, businesses, civil society actors, and the public in the form of policy briefs, op-eds, presentations, and panel sessions with the aim of raising awareness on what needs to be done to better support fathers and families with young children.I will also carry out additional data collection by revisiting the research participants from my doctoral project and conducting follow-up interviews with 15-20 fathers as well as their children (aged five and older). The valuable longitudinal qualitative data collected in this additional round of fieldwork will allow me to track fathers' work and family life following their leave. Interviews with children will utilise visual methods and generate drawings of family activities and relationships to centre children's perspectives and experiences of their fathers' uptake of leave and its impact on the children's gender socialisation and family life.Together, my research will enhance our understanding of the impact of fathers' uptake of parental leave on gender equality and family life in Korea and beyond. It will also identify how fathers and families with young children can be better supported to balance work and family life.