Family Structure and the Effects of Sex Composition of Children on Father’s Involvement

Yu-han Chen, National Taiwan University
Jui-Chung Allen Li, Academia Sinica

Prior research has shown that fathers spend more time with children when they have sons than when they have all daughters. We examine whether the effects of sex composition of children on father’s involvement differ by family structure. Using data from the 1987-1988 National Survey of Families and Households, we find that only fathers in intact families are more involved with children when they have sons than when they have all daughters. The finding suggests that fathers who had a higher level of family commitment and believed their special role to sons may be more involved with children when they have sons. We speculate that fathers who had a lower level of family commitment and who did not hold such beliefs might be less likely to get married and more likely to divorce. Hence, gendered differential in father’s involvement only occurred among fathers who remained in intact families.