To further examine culture-specific patterns of paternal involvement in childcare,
assessments were made of fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of their involvement
in caring for and stimulating infants in 41 urban Kadazan families
in Sabah, Malaysia. Mothers exceeded fathers in the amount of time they spent
in cleaning, feeding, and playing with infants and in their levels of engagement
in direct care of infants. With the exception of feeding and singing, fathers
and mothers reported engaging in similar amounts of care and stimulation of
infant boys and girls. The results are discussed in the context of cultural beliefs
about gender role differentiation in early childcare in Kadazan families
in a rapidly changing Malaysian society.