Co-Provider Marriages [book chapter]

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Heather M. Helms, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Co-provider marriages in which husbands and wives jointly provide shelter, food, and clothing for their families have existed for centuries. The extent to which both spouses' breadwinning efforts have been recognized, however, has varied over time. Currently, 65 percent of married couples in the United States are dual earners. Often overlooked are the meanings dual-earner spouses ascribe to paid employment, and husbands often retain the psychological responsibility to provide. Dual-earner couples in which both spouses assume responsibility for breadwinning have been termed “co-providers.” In contrast to research that assumed similar attitudes between spouses, contemporary husbands and wives in dual-earner marriages are likely to have discrepant provider role attitudes. The extent to which dual-earner husbands and wives in the United States view wives' paid employment as essential varies among couples and often between spouses and has important implications for spouses' role-related stress, division of housework, and marital satisfaction.

Additional Information

Publication
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Family Studies.
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
marriages, co-providers, dual-earners

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