Marriage, Work & Economics

Michael ItagakiSociology 275, Marriage and

Family

Chapter Outline

Workplace/family Linkages The Familial Division of Labor:

Women in the Labor Force Dual-earner Marriages Atypical Dual-earners: Shift

Couples and Peer Marriages

Chapter Outline

Employment and the Family Life Cycle

Family Issues in the Workplace Living Without Work:

Unemployment and Families Poverty Workplace and Family Policy

Families and Work

Families—Economic units bound by emotional ties.

Two types of work in families: Paid work at the workplace Unpaid work in the household

Workplace/Family Linkages Work spillover—Effect employment

has on other aspects of life, i.e. the family For men: Excessive work time is cause of

conflict For women: Fatigue and irritability cause

conflict

Workplace/Family Linkages Role Conflict—Juggling between

responsibilities of separate roles. Role Strain—Juggling multiple

responsibilities attached to a role. Role Overload—Responsibilities for

one or more roles are greater than an individual can handle.

Familial Division of Labor Traditional

Husband works outside home for wages Traditional primary role as the provider

Wife remains home caring for children. Two-person career model

Women are domestic and child-rearing supports

Men focus on wage earning and providing.

Familial Division of Labor Men’s family work

Household maintenance and repair…, “helping” their partner in household tasks.

Women’s family work Homemaker role is unpaid,

denigrated. There is seldom equality when it

comes to housework.

Familial Division of Labor Men’s family work

Household maintenance and repair…, “helping” their partner in household tasks.

Women’s family work Homemaker role is unpaid, denigrated. There is seldom equality when it comes

to housework. Impact of employment status

Characteristics Of Housework It isolates the person at home. It is unstructured, monotonous, and

repetitive. It is often a restricted, full-time role. It is autonomous. It is “never done”. It may involve child rearing. It often involves role strain. It is unpaid.

Women in the Labor Force Women have always been a part

of the labor force: single women In 2002, women represented:

46.3% of labor force 60% of adult women were

employed

Women’s Decision to Enter the Labor Force

1. Financial factors: To what extent is income significant?

2. Social norms3. Self-fulfillment4. Attitudes about employment and

family

Women in the Labor Force Women’s employment:

Decreases economic hardship Increases domestic support

Women’s employment patterns Women interrupt careers more

than men

Women in the Labor Force ABC News, 20/20

Dual-Earner Marriages

Economic changes led to significant increase in dual-earner marriages.

In dual-career families (subcategory), the husband and wife have:

High achievement orientation Greater emphasis on gender equality Face challenges to achieve

professional/family goals

Dual-Earner Marriages

Marital satisfaction is tied to fair division of household labor

Housework and childcare are inseparable. Standards of housework have changed (p. 392) Men “pitch in,” but still disparity in housework

duties Women experience more stress, access to less

leisure time than men. Men perceive doing more housework than

actually do. If children present, men work more at jobs…

less housework

Child-Rearing Activities Men increasingly believe that

they should be more involved as fathers than men have been in the past.

Child-Rearing Activities

Mothers spend 3 to 5 hours of active involvement for every hour fathers spend.

Mothers’ involvement is oriented toward practical daily activities: Feeding, bathing, and dressing.

Fathers’ time is generally spent in play.

Findings From a Study of Two Parent Families Mothers are almost entirely

responsible for child care Women are primary caretakers Men are secondary caretakers.

Marital Power

Increases with wife’s employment status

Wife’s reluctance to insist on husband’s contribution to housework (Pleck) Cultural norms Fears demands will lead to conflict Belief that husbands are not competent

Atypical Dual Earner Households

1. Shift Couples - Where spouses work opposite shifts and alternate domestic and caregiver responsibilities.

2. Role Reversal - Households in which men stay home with children while women support the family financially.

Dual-Earner Marriages

Class discussion: How many of you grew up in a dual

earner family? Single-earner family?

What did you like/dislike about growing up in these situations?

Future plans…what are benefits problems of each arrangement?

Economic Distress

Aspects of a family’s economic life that may cause stress: Unemployment, poverty, and economic

strain. Unemployment causes family roles to

change. Unemployment most often affects

female-headed single-parent families, African-American and Latino families, and young families.

Poverty

Almost 14% of the population of the United States lives in poverty.

Poverty generally occurs due to: Divorce Birth of a child to an unmarried mother Unemployment Illness, disability, or death of the head of

the household

Poverty

Poverty is associated with: Marital and family stress Increased divorce rates Homelessness Poor health, depression Lowered life expectancy

Poverty

Poverty is a major contributing factor to family dissolution.

Majority of the poor, and of welfare recipients, are white.

Spells of poverty tend to be temporary rather than permanent.

Poverty

Largest increase has been number of working poor.

Feminization of poverty