This study explored potential changes to the gender system towards a universal carer model by focusing on the changes of men''s perception on the traditional division of labor through use of parental leave. The analysis was conducted through in-depth interviews with 8 couples whose husbands had taken more than 3 months of parental leave.
According to ''gender system'' theory, the gender system can be changed when inconsistencies in the social or cultural system develop falling the degree of social and cultural integration. Changes can take place because inconsistencies encourage social actors to try to bring out change and negotiation with the existing gender system. The approach of this theory has been mainly focused on the patterns of women''s participation in paid work, placing the newly-risen cultural debates on the core mechanism of the changes of the gender system.
In fact, with women''s access to paid work increasing, there has been mounting cultural expectations upon fathers'' active involvement in caring and household chores. Some research has proven the recent changes of fathers'' perceptions about a good father''s role, called ''new fatherhood''. However, other research at the same time indicated that the cultural demands on the changes of men''s gender role has not directly dragged men out of the traditional gendered division of labor, called ''stalled-revolution''.
If we consider ''doing gender'' and ''gender performance'' theory, which insisted that gender identity can be identified by what they do and perform in their daily lives, it cannot be guaranteed that the new cultural notions about the fathers'' role have been playing a decisive role in changing the gender system. That is because the newly-risen cultural ideas are not yet well established, and often fail to urge men to truly perform their new role as a main caregiver due to the existing stereotype on traditional gender role.
This study, therefore, highlights the importance of societal institutions as the mechanism of change in the gender system by analysing fathers'' experience of parental leave. The result of this study showed that the fathers who took parental leave ended up establishing their new identity as a caregiver and accepting labor of caring and household chores as a task which both genders have to conduct together despite the confusion and dilemma as a breadwinner from cultural barriers at the early stage.
The major findings of this study are presented as below.
First, fathers faced ''cultural lag'' when they decided to use parental leave and persuaded male co-workers and their parents. Male coworkers showed their doubts regarding fathers'' decision saying that ''it is not manly'', ''don''t take it as a big deal'', ''do you really think that your involvement is helpful to your child and wife?'' and so on. Parents also did not understand or undervalued their sons'' decision. Constant appeasement shook fathers'' determination and made them have second thoughts about the meaning of their decision. This result indicated that there are still large cultural barriers which restrict men to equally participate in private childcare even though it is believed that new fatherhood has risen and influenced men''s perception on father''s role.
Second, fathers found potential benefits as a main caregiver saying that parental leave gave them an opportunity to get trained as a carer. Fathers'' experiences of nurturing their children all day for more than 3 months help couples share the information about their child, giving fathers the same priority over child-related issues, which used to be taken by mothers. In addition, related to fathers'' doubts on their decision at the early stage, they ended up criticizing other men''s care for their children, calling it as ''excuses'', ''just pretending to care'', ''illusion'', ''snobbiness'' and so on. They said that they realized that men tend to believe that they have been actively participating in nurturing their children although their actual contribution was extremely low. These changes mean that the use of parental leave can motivate men not only to actively take part in caring, but also to discover the true meaning of caring in spite of the restriction of ''cultural lag''.
Third, going through a hard time during parental leave, fathers realized that ''care'' cannot be only the women''s task anymore and started understanding how hard it could be for women to take care of their children at home all day alone. The extension of understanding appeared as a form of reciprocal patterns on household chores and caring. Furthermore, fathers'' perspectives on the division of labor have changed. One of them said that four people are required during parental leave and some of them considered the household chores and caring as something ''you might not be able to know if you do not experience in person'', not as something I have to ''help''. This result can be said that fathers ended up making the barrier between the traditional division of labor useless and meaningless by expanding the scope of their ''gender performance'' through the use of parental leave.
Even though conducted based on 8 couples'' interviews, this study carries significance in that it reveals the importance of institutional support for changes in gender system. The changes in fathers taking parental leave indicate the possibilities of changes in the traditional gendered division of labor. Given that only a small number of men have taken parental leave in Korea, the institutional efforts to extend its benefit and effectiveness should be exerted to take a step towards a more egalitarian division of labor.