Despite widespread interest in patterns of parenting after separation in Australia, the
gaps in our knowledge remain large and fundamental. Most studies, including those
overseas, have taken a quantitative tack, measuring the frequency and overall amount of
face-to-face contact between children and non-resident parents (mostly fathers). But
obviously there is more to parent�child contact than just time. The nature and quality of
the interaction are also important � perhaps even more so.
Recently there has been a push towards recognising and describing both qualitative
and quantitative differences in the many ways that parental sharing of time with
children can occur after divorce. This thesis attempts to identify and explore some of
these differences by comparing five different patterns of care: (i) 50/50 shared care,
(ii) little or no contact, (iii) holiday-only contact, (iv) daytime-only contact, and (v)
�standard� contact (thought to occur every-other-weekend and half of each school
holidays). A representative snapshot of parent�child contact schedules after separation
is presented to provide some of the detail of arrangements within this typology.
Two (complementary) types of data are used: qualitative data from a series of focus
groups with separated parents, and quantitative data from three large representative
samples of separated/divorced parents in Australia. Joining the dots between the
various pieces of data, there is much to suggest that family dynamics in tandem with
demographic factors temper the form that parent�child contact takes, with different
combinations of factors clearly linked to qualitatively different patterns of postseparation
parenting.
While separating parents need to be encouraged to think more laterally about what
arrangements might work best for their children and themselves, the data presented
suggest that some parents in Australia are already being very creative and there is
much diversity of arrangements. The central argument running through this
dissertation is that arrangements that allow children to experience fluid, meaningful
time with each parent are critical for children�s and parents� wellbeing.
The ideas and data presented here � especially some of the more creative timesharing
schedules developed by parents � are likely to be a useful resource for separated
parents, and the family law professionals they approach for assistance, to reflect on
when developing or refining parenting arrangements after divorce.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/216542 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Smyth, Bruce, bruce.smyth@aifs.gov.au |
| Publisher | Swinburne University of Technology. Department of Sociology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.swin.edu.au/), Copyright Bruce Smyth |
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