The transition to parenthood: The effects of gender role attitudes and level of culture change in Chinese-American couples

Little is known about how Asian Americans experience the transition to parenthood. When parents become partners, one of the most important factors influencing marital satisfaction is the division of labor after the birth of the first child, especially when expectations do not match outcomes. Gender role attitudes, which are shaped by cultural beliefs, have been shown to impact both expectations and outcomes of division of labor. The transition to parenthood has been studied primarily with Caucasian couples, who often report more egalitarian gender role attitudes which are different from more traditional and patriarchal attitudes of Chinese culture. The purpose of this study was to explore how gender role attitudes and level of culture change, or acculturation, impact Chinese American couples during the transition to parenthood.; 134 Chinese American adult participants (67 couples) completed the Cultural Beliefs and Behaviors Adaptation Profile (CBBAP; Shiang & Bogumil, 2001), the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA; Suinn, Rickard-Figueroa, Lew, & Vigil, 1987), the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R; Snyder, 1979; 1994), the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale, Form KK (SRES-KK; King & King, 1983; Beere, King, Beere, & King, 1984), the "Who Does What?" (WDW; Cowan, Cowan, Coie, & Coie, 1978), and a demographic questionnaire. U.S. born participants were compared to foreign-born participants since the two groups reported differences on certain variables.; Results indicate that Chinese American couples experience lower levels of marital distress during the transition to parenthood. Participants who were more acculturated reported more egalitarian gender role attitudes, more paternal involvement, and less marital distress. However, women still reported handling a majority of household and family tasks and childcare. Overall, Chinese American couples did espouse more traditional beliefs and behaviors than Caucasian couples. Yet, couples indicated satisfaction with who does what and this could be associated with clearer expectations of division of labor based on Chinese cultural norms and values. While gender role attitudes were correlated with marital satisfaction, demographic variables were not. Clinical implications, including psychotherapy and social service interventions, as well as future directions for research are also discussed.