Qualitative Longitudinal Research for Study work-family balance (before and after childbirth)

Transition to parenthood is a crucial phase of life course, since it is during this life-phase that previous gender roles and the allocation of paid and unpaid work, the existing work-family balance within the couple, are re-defined. Sociological studies show that the transition to parenthood is often accompanied by a return to traditional gender role, even among formerly egalitarian couples (Fox, 2009; Grunow & Evertsson, 2016). The chapter is based on longitudinal couple’s interviewees with highly educated dual earner couples during their first transition to parenthood living in Torino and the surrounding area. Throughout the discussion of the research design, results, and practices involved in data analysis two different broad issues will be addressed. First, there is a need for more qualitative longitudinal investigations of ‘doing’ and ‘undoing’ gender parenting divided between work and care. Second, the methodological challenges involved in systematically analysing longitudinal qualitative data have rarely been addressed.