Medan – Fatherhood among Indonesia’s millennial generation is undergoing a significant transformation. No longer viewed solely as financial providers, many fathers are becoming more actively involved in childcare, domestic responsibilities, and emotional support within the family. This finding was reported by Camelia Nasution, Harmona Daulay, Muba Simanihuruk, Hadriana Marhaeni Munthe, and Rizabuana from the University of Sumatera Utara in a study published in 2026 in the East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR). The research reveals that the concept of caring masculinities is emerging among millennial fathers as a new model of fatherhood that emphasizes empathy, cooperation, and shared family responsibilities.
For many years, family life in Indonesia has been shaped by traditional gender roles in which fathers are expected to provide financial support while mothers are responsible for childcare and domestic work. However, changing social expectations, growing awareness of gender equality, and increasing public concern about father absence have encouraged many men to redefine what it means to be a father. Government initiatives promoting active fatherhood have also reinforced the importance of fathers’ involvement in children's daily lives.
The researchers adopted a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore how millennial fathers in Medan experience and interpret fatherhood. Ten fathers who were actively involved in raising their children participated in in-depth interviews. Rather than simply documenting what fathers do, the study sought to understand how they interpret their responsibilities, emotional involvement, and masculine identity within the context of modern family life.
The findings demonstrate that participants no longer define fatherhood exclusively through the role of breadwinner. Instead, they describe being a father as maintaining emotional presence, communicating openly with children, participating in household responsibilities, and sharing parenting duties equally with their spouses. Many participants explained that their approach to parenting had been influenced by childhood experiences, family upbringing, and previous caregiving experiences, all of which shaped their understanding of responsible fatherhood.
Emotional involvement emerged as one of the most important aspects of modern fatherhood. Fathers described spending quality time listening to their children, helping with homework, taking them to school, playing together, and offering emotional support during everyday situations. Rather than viewing these activities as helping their wives, the participants considered them essential responsibilities of being a father. These experiences illustrate a shift from traditional patriarchal parenting toward a more collaborative and relationship-centered family model.
Despite these positive changes, the transition has not been without challenges. Many fathers reported balancing demanding work schedules with family responsibilities while also facing criticism or skepticism from neighbors, relatives, and coworkers who still viewed childcare and domestic work as women's responsibilities. Nevertheless, the participants continued negotiating these expectations by remaining actively involved in raising their children and supporting their spouses in everyday family life.
The research also highlights that fatherhood has become a process of identity transformation. Several participants explained that becoming a husband and father fundamentally changed how they understood strength, responsibility, and masculinity. Instead of associating masculine strength with emotional distance, authority, or dominance, they increasingly viewed patience, empathy, consistency, and emotional availability as qualities of a responsible man. In this way, caring became an integral part of masculine identity rather than a contradiction to it.
According to Camelia Nasution and colleagues from the University of Sumatera Utara, the findings demonstrate that masculinity is not fixed but continuously reconstructed through everyday family experiences. While the fathers still embraced their responsibilities as providers, they also developed closer relationships with their children and adopted more equal partnerships with their spouses. This suggests that childcare is increasingly understood as a shared parental responsibility rather than a task assigned exclusively to mothers.
The study has important implications for family development in Indonesia. Greater father involvement can contribute positively to children's emotional, cognitive, and social development while strengthening family relationships. The findings may also inform policymakers, educators, and community organizations in designing programs that encourage active father participation. Furthermore, they highlight the need for workplaces and public policies that support work-life balance, enabling fathers to engage more fully in family life.
Overall, the research concludes that millennial fathers in Medan are reconstructing fatherhood through a more caring, collaborative, and emotionally engaged form of masculinity. Their experiences demonstrate that fatherhood extends far beyond financial provision, encompassing listening, guiding, nurturing, and growing alongside their children. These findings illustrate how contemporary Indonesian families are gradually moving toward more egalitarian parenting while maintaining meaningful masculine identities.
Author Profile
Camelia Nasution – University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Harmona Daulay – University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Muba Simanihuruk – University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Hadriana Marhaeni Munthe – University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Rizabuana – University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Research Source
Article Title: Caring Masculinities among Millennial Fathers in Medan City: A Phenomenological Study of Parenting Role Negotiation.
Journal: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5, No. 7, 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.242
Journal Website: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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