Time For Change: The Cultural Schemas and Temporal (Un)Knowns of Fatherhood

Dr Boróka Bó joined the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex in 2021. Dr Bó completed a double PhD in Sociology and Demography at the University of California Berkeley. Prior to joining, they have held visiting and training fellowships at Duke University and at the City University of New York. Dr Bó utilises a mixed methods approach to examine the mechanisms between sociotemporal disparities and inequalities in well-being.

In this talk, they will share a portion of research focusing on the experiences of Canadian first-time fathers. A burgeoning body of literature notes that how individuals and families navigate the temporal demands of the transition to parenthood correlates with the well-being outcomes of both generations. However, less is known about how the unequal care time distributions noted by the existing literature arise and how the social structure of the family may change during this transition. 

Using the Theory of Conjunctural Action as a springboard and drawing on insights from the sociology of time, this talk illustrates how the social structure of the family can be reconfirmed or reconfigured during this formative life course conjuncture. This work suggests that policies and organisations targeting the well-being outcomes of families also need to consider sociotemporal factors.

This webinar is part of an open webinar series, hosted by CISC. To discover more please visit the Centre for Intimate and Sexual Citizenship and follow the Centre on Twitter.