"I Only Have to Ask Him and He Does It..." Active Fatherhood and (Perceptions of) Division of Family Labour in Slovenia.

The paper analyzes changes in the gendered division of family labour and the recent phenomenon of active fatherhood in Slovenia. Based on qualitative empirical evidence, the authors argue that changes in the relocation of care between women and men in family life are significant in the values and expectations of individuals rather than in practices. Gender inequality in family labour is not seen only in the allocation of domestic work and childcare as such, but also in the allocation of responsibilities, strategies of negotiation etc. This means that women usually take over the organisation and management of the home, study and the carrying out of domestic work. This holds important practical and symbolic consequences that are addressed in the paper. Within the division of family labour, several changes are observed in parenting where in particular the emotional part of caring has become the domain of both parents. The article focuses especially on changes in the paternal role and the consequences for the gendered division of labour within the family. The so-called new or active fatherhood in Slovenia is chiefly present in the form of a supporting paternal role, which strengthens and maintains the position of motherhood and mothering as the primary family role, and puts the fathering role in a secondary, supportive position. Consequently, active fatherhood is not directly connected with a more equal division of labour or even the notion of gender equality. The authors discuss social contexts, subjective and structural factors/obstacles to changes in the gendered division of family labour in Slovenia. (Author abstract)