FATHER INVOLVEMENT IN CHILD-CARE AND HOUSEHOLD WORK IN COMMON-LAW DUAL-EARNER AND SINGLE-EARNER JAMAICAN FAMILIES

The division of child care and household labor and beliefs about the r oles of mothers and fathers were examined in 86 low-income dual-earner and single-earner Jamaican couples in common-law unions. Analysis rev ealed that there was a markedly gender-differentiated pattern of invol vement in child care and household tasks by parents and that they held very traditional conceptions of the roles of mothers and fathers. Bot h mothers and fathers were more likely to spend time playing with rath er than feeding or cleaning their babies. Involvement in child care di d not differ as a function of the gender of th einfant, but involvemen t in child care and household work did vary by mother's employment sta tus. Jamaican men's participation in child care and household activiti es was quite similar to what has been reported for men in other cultur al groups. The data are discussed in terms of the commonly accepted no tion of the ''marginal'' role of Jamaican men in the family and in the context of gender roles.