“Current Perspectives on Dual-Career Families” by Lucia Albino Gilbert
A dual-career family, as described by the Rapoports, is an “unusual and
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‘revolutionary’ type of dual-wage, heterosexual family that emerged as a result of
complete social changes.” In this type of family situation, the man and woman both
pursue separate careers of their own while maintaining their marriage and sometimes
adding children. The dual-career family is considered to break down gender roles and
bring equality between the sexes. The man is no longer considered the “bread winner”
and household tasks are generally shared by both sexes.
In theory, both husband and wife
are equal, but in reality they are not. This article provides a “broad overview” on current
working men and women and provides facts and figures on dual-career family
Currently, opportunities for men and women both educationally and
occupationally are equal. Most men and women between the ages of 25 and 29 have four
or more years of college under their belts and are employed full-time.
The opportunity for
women to use their education is much easier today than in previous years. Many
occupations that were available mainly to men are open to women as well. Such fields
include: the medical field, law, and University teaching. Because of new opportunities,
and dual-career families many married women who are mothers have joined the work
force. This could also be due to the fact that women are associating a career with their
self-identity. Women are bringing more and more income into the household.
Researchers view the dual-career family situation in three phases. Phase one is the
changing of women’s roles. It is the view that women can “do it all” and still care for a
family. It was viewed that women’s roles changed and they had to adapt to their new
lifestyle whereas men’s roles remained the same. The outcome of children was a big
concern to researchers. They found that children in a dual-career home remained
unharmed if given alternate parenting or day care.
Phase two is the gender caparison phase. Women began pushing for change in the
home and in men. Multiple roles began to arise with males as well as females. Their
duties, coping, and marital satisfaction began to change. There are benefits to both
women and men in a dual-career family. The benefits to women include: a heightened
sense of self-esteem, positive physical and mental health, and a new found financial
independence. The benefits for men include: emotional involvement and bonding that is
not present in traditional families, better general health, less pressure to be the sole
provider for wife and kids, and greater participation in parenting situations. Although the
second phase was useful in determining the effects of dual-career family situations in
individual cases it did not provide, widespread research and results for the general
The third and final phase deals with social norms and practices. The dual-career
husband and wife can no longer receive all of their personal needs and wants. An
example of this is with parenting. If a father and/or mother work in a traditional type of
workplace finding time for their children may be difficult.
There are four crucial areas to the dual-career family lifestyle. The first is
combining the family and the career. Presently women make more money and posses
more legal equality but some traditional gender roles are still acted out. Such as, men still
make more money than women and typically hold greater positions of power. On the job,
women use more family leave and Flextime. The widely believed statement that working
women pull a “double shift” by working and then coming home to family responsibilities
is not true, responsibilities are now often shared by both partners.
There are currently three types of households, conventional, modern, and role
sharing. In the conventional household the chores are taken on solely by the woman and
the man will only help out if it does not hinder his career goals. In this situation the man
usually makes more money and it is up to the woman to balance her career and family. In
the modern situation parenting is shared but the wife takes on the chores. In this type of
dual-career family men are more likely to be active fathers. In the third type, role sharing,
the husband and wife share both the child-rearing and household responsibilities as well
as actively pursuing individual careers. This type of situation is favored by one-third of
The second type of crucial area to the dual-career lifestyle is equity versus
equality. Equity is equal to “marital quality and personal well-being.” Women who see
themselves as co-providers expect more out of their husbands and that he should take on
more responsibilities. But, women who see themselves as co-providers but do not request
the help of their husbands are not as satisfied with the marriage.
The third crucial area is parenting and role conflict. With parenting in dual-career
families, the decision to have children is affected by several factors. Such as, the values of
both partners, the policy in the workplace, work schedules, and child care options. The
situation is idea if, the parents employers are child-friendly, if active parenting is present,
if parents are willing to use childcare, and if roles in the home are considered fair.
The fourth crucial area are sources of support. There are two sources of support
for dual-career families. Spousal support is the most important type of support. “Shared
values and expectations about love and work” are key. The second type of support is
social and institutional support. “Shared values and expectations about love and work”
are fundamental. Social and institutional support is key because it makes coping with a
dual-career family easier. Presently, many companies offer flexible scheduling and work
at home options to help mothers balance parenting and work.
Finally, new options for women are changing roles in the household are paving
the way for future dual-career families. Slowly but surely, men and women are becoming
equals in the home as well as on the job and “a new picture of contemporary marriage is
“Current Perspectives on Dual-Career Families” by Lucia Albino Gilbert