Varied priorities and changing attitudes towards traditional parenting partnerships in a diverse New York city sample

Background: Recent decades have witnessed a well-documented shift in family formation. This shift is due, in part, to changing attitudes toward traditional parenting partnerships (“traditional parenthood”) characterized by a heterosexual couple first marrying, followed by having and raising children together, with the intention of a lifelong, monogamous commitment. Methods: The Social Position and Family Formation (SPAFF) study set out to capture these changing attitudes in young adults by conducting in-depth interviews (IDIs) among African Americans, Hispanics, and Whites, ages 18 to 35, across all income levels, living in the New York metropolitan area. Results: Preliminary findings from qualitative analysis of 200 IDIs suggests a typology of attitude toward traditional parenthood with 3 elements: committed to it; recognize it as the ideal, but accept that it was/will not be the reality for most; dismiss it. This classification seems to be informed by individuals' perceptions and actual benefits or disadvantages of traditional and nontraditional parenthood, which focus on themes of financial security, personal well-being, and a childcare network. Notably, respondents not committed to traditional parenthood identify meaningful benefits offered by nontraditional parenthood in these same three categories. Findings from ongoing analysis will expand our understanding of how contemporary parenting partnerships are formed and whether differences exist by gender, race/ethnicity and/or social position. Implications: Given the heightened focus on US demographic trends in family structure and concern for familial/child wellbeing, the findings from this research will inform social and public health policy on how to best support different models of American family formation.