This longitudinal study examined the parental involvement through a collective case study with six primiparous couples interviewed in the last trimester of pregnancy, at three and 12 months of baby's life. A qualitative analysis of the data, based on father involvement as well as in psychodynamic approach, revealed the familiar models of parenting had important influences in the father involvement. On the other hand, the absence of a support matrix, as well as the perceptions of mothers on the performance of their husbands as fathers, did not seem to directly influence the level of father involvement with the baby. It seems that the parents were still following traditional models of fatherhood in relation to accessibility and accountability, focusing on their role as financial provider. The involvement of parents was higher in recreational activities than in child care for which it seemed lacking effective models. We discuss intergenerational and discourse influences on the "new father" in the practice of fatherhood.
Involvement; fatherhood; parent-child relations
