Breadwinning Roles: The Father's Role Of Fatherhood

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The father emerged as the more studied figure due in large part to preparation for his role as breadwinner. Girls entered school to be honed for their eventual caregiving roles, whereas boys entered education to be equipped in the occupational sphere, being expected to support the family “financially and instrumentally”, and during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, education was the monopoly of men, with both male students and teachers. (Klinman 414-415). Historically, the elite Philippine colonial society permitted only boys to attend school while girls attended to household matters and prepared themselves for possible matches. This continued on for some time until the advent of more progressive ideas.
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A breadwinner is the sole source of income in a household and on whose income the household and its members depend. The father’s breadwinning role emerged during the period of centralized industrialization, becoming central to the notion of fatherhood and the basis for criticism of “good fathers”—and at the time, even when both parents were employed, the father was still the main source of income due to income differences across genders. Economic support from the father constituted his portion in the raising of his children (Lamb 5-7). Grønseth describes men as falling into a “breadwinner trap” (“Breadwinner Trap” 175-191). According to his analysis, in societies’ attempts to determining the provider of economic support for children, societies have created the “husband economic provider role” (Grønseth, “Husband-provider” 11-31). Stella Go also found that the father had the promise of being the family breadwinner and to provide the household economic security. She also said that fathers were not expected to participate in household chores except those that required more effort such as carpentry and repair (26). Last, structural-functionalist theorists say that the role of the adult male is situated in the occupational circle and in his function as the family income-provider (C openhaver

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