The chapters are based on three research projects conducted in different decades. All of them contain extensive interviews with fathers about their use of and experiences with parental leave, particularly the father's quota.

The first study was conducted at the end of the 1980s when the parental leave rights were much less generous than today. The fathers had no leave period reserved for them as the study took place before the introduction of the father's quota. The rights allowed a total period of 20 weeks at 100 per cent pay, in addition to 32 weeks without pay. After the first six weeks the parents both now and in 1987 could share the rest of the weeks. Chapter 5 is based on this study.

Overall, the data in this first study consisted of three samples. First, all men who became fathers in the Norwegian municipality of Trondheim (the third largest urban area in Norway) were surveyed in 1987. The questionnaire was sent to 1,600 men, of whom 60 per cent responded. Only 0.9 per cent of those fathers (7) who had the right to share paid parental leave availed themselves of their right to do so, and they were all interviewed. A total of 2.7 per cent of the fathers took some unpaid parental leave so that altogether, 3.6 per cent of the fathers shared the parental leave with the mothers (Brandth and Kvande, 1989). Second, to obtain a broader basis of leave users, a questionnaire was sent to all men in Norway registered by the National Insurance Administration (Rikstrygdeverket) who had taken paid leave in 1987. This sample consisted of 260 men, and the response rate was 75 per cent. Data from this shows that fathers who took parental leave in the 1980s had a high level of education and were in the high to middle income range.

Finally, we conducted interviews with 10 couples, mothers and fathers, who became parents in 1987 and who had shared the parental leave period. Only seven fathers had shared the paid parental leave in Trondheim this year; they and their partners were all interviewed. Moreover, three couples who shared the unpaid leave period were interviewed. The interviews were held in 1988 with the mothers and fathers separately. As is evident, couples sharing parental leave in 1987 comprised a very small group – a minority of involved fathers.