Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to offer an overview of the demographic features of the contemporary context in relation to fathers, fathering and fatherhood. How much are fathers doing with their children? What about housework? These are some of the issues considered here. Although most of the research highlights trends in the UK, experiences from other countries are also drawn on. The primary aim is to set the context for discussions in subsequent chapters in relation to theories, policies and practices.

Change, continuity and diversity

Changes in marital patterns have excited much debate and concern. In the UK, married couples are the main family type (in 2004, there were 17 million families and around seven in ten were headed by a married couple). The number of married couple families, however, fell by 4% between 1996 and 2004. This decline occurred despite an overall increase of 3% in the total number of families (ONS, 2005).

Between 1996 and 2004, the number of cohabiting couple families increased by over 50% to 2.2 million. Nearly 40% had dependent children living with them. The number of lone mother families increased by 12% to 2.3 million. In 2004, nearly nine out of ten lone parents were lone mothers. Seventy-three per cent were more likely to have dependent children living with them than lone father families (50%).

In 2004, there were 7.4 million families with 13.1 million dependent children living in them. Most of these (66%) lived in a married couple family. One in four dependent children lived in a lone parent family. This is an increase from one in 14 in 1972. Although, as indicated, the vast majority are lone mother families, the number of lone fathers has increased threefold since 1970 to 178, 000 (ONS, 2005). In line with trends in other countries, children in families headed by lone fathers tend to be older.

In 2001, 10% of all families with dependent children in the UK were stepfamilies (defined as couple families with stepchildren or with step- and biological children to both parents). There is a tendency for children to stay with their mother following the break-up of a partnership. Over 80% of stepfamilies consisted of a birth mother and a stepfather. Stepfamilies were generally larger. Twenty-seven per cent of stepfamilies had three or more dependent children compared with 18% of non-stepfamilies (ONS, 2005).