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(Mis‐)Coordinating identities in the transition to parenthood: Investigating the co‐development of partners’ parenting, domestic and provider identities before and after the birth of the first child
Author(s) -
TurnerZwinkels Felicity M.,
Spini Dario
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2591
Subject(s) - psychology , partner effects , centrality , developmental psychology , identity (music) , social psychology , perspective (graphical) , longitudinal study , social identity theory , transition (genetics) , gender identity , social group , biochemistry , statistics , physics , chemistry , mathematics , combinatorics , artificial intelligence , computer science , acoustics , gene
This research takes a socio‐psychological perspective to studying the transition to parenthood, by longitudinally investigating how couples dyadically coordinate : (a) the changing centralities of parenting domestic and provider identities, and (b) the consequences of this for stress and relationship satisfaction. We collected longitudinal data from a Swiss community sample of 213 heterosexual, first‐time parents, in approximately the 24th week of pregnancy (T1) and 2 years later (T2). Participants completed a sociogram task, sketching the centrality of parenting, domestic and provider identities, for themselves and their partner. We applied actor partner interdependence models to model changing identity centralities at T2, from the (coordination) of T1 identities, distinguishing effects due to one's partner and the individual. Results support identity coordination in couples, especially in the development of the domestic identity. This coordination also had longitudinal effects for couples’ well‐being. Results emphasize the social forces that structure the self‐concept, and their health consequences.