Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Happiness in dual-career couples: Changing research, changing values

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article offers a framework for understanding contradictory findings in the field of the dual-career couple by presenting two patterns: (1) the early, conventional one of the 1960s, which viewed married women's participation in the labor force as threatening marriage and the family, and (2) the contemporary view, which emerged during the 1970s and which admits that women can happily combine career with family. The article suggests that there is little evidence to support the view that dual-career couples experience increased rate of marital conflict, marital dissatisfaction, and role blur; rather, the intellectual and psychological benefits in dual-career couples seem to outweigh the disadvantages, particularly for wives.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnott, C. C. Married women and the pursuit of profit: An exchange theory perspective. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1972, 34, 122–131. (a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnott, C. C. Husbands; attitudes and wives' commitment to employment. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1972, 34, 673–684. (b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Axelson, S. J. The marital adjustment of marital role definitions of husbands of working and nonworking wives. Marriage and Family Living, 1963, 25, 94–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahr, S. J. Effects on power and division of labor in the family. In L. W. Hoffman & F. I. Nye (Eds.), Working mothers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahr, S. J., & Day, R. O. Sex roles attitude, female employment and marital satisfaction. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 1978, 9, 53–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailyn, L. Career and family orientation of husbands and wives in relation to marital happiness. Human Relations, 1970, 23, 97–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bebbington, A. C. The function of stress in the establishment of the dual-career family. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1973, 35, 530–537.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birnbaum, L. A. J. Life patterns, personality style, and self esteem in gifted family oriented and career oriented women. Dissertation Abstracts International, 1971, 32, 1834B.

  • Blood, R. O. The husband-wife relationship. In F. I. Nye & I. W. Hoffman (Eds.), The employed mother in America. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blood, R., & Wolfe, D. Husbands and wives. New York: Free Press, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. Developmental research, public policy, and the ecology of childhood. Child Development, 1974, 45, 55–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryson, R., Bryson, J. B., & Johnson, M. F. Family size, satisfaction and productivity in dual-career couples. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1978, 3, 67–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buric, O., & Zecevic, A. Family authority, marital satisfaction and the social network in Yugoslavia. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1967, 29, 325–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, R. J., & Weir, T. Relationship of wives' employment status to husband, wife and pair satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1976, 38, 279–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rodgers, W. L. The quality of American life: Perceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, J. The recreational role. Unpublished paper, 1973.

  • Dizard, J. Social change in the family. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, C. F. Woman's place. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feld, S. Feelings of adjustment. In F. I. Nye & L. W. Hoffman (Eds.), The employed mother in America. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, H., & Feldman, M. The relationship between the family and occupational functioning in a sample of rural women. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fidell, L. Employment status, role dissatisfaction and the housewife syndrome. Unpublished manuscript, 1977. (Available from Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, California 91324.)

  • Garland, N. T. The better half: The male in the dual-career professional family. In C. Safilios-Rothschild (Ed.), Toward a sociology of women. Lexington, Mass.: Xerox College Publishing, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gover, D. Socio-economic differential in the relationship between marital adjustment and wife's employment status. Marriage and Family Living, 1963, 25, 452–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, R. H., & Arvey, R. D. Marital satisfaction, job satisfaction and task distribution in the homemaker's job. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1977, 11, 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haavio-Mannila, E. Satisfaction with family work, leisure and life among men and women. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1970, 17, 588–601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, D. A model of coping with role conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1972, 17, 471–486.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, A. O., & Minor, J. H. Interrole conflict, coping strategies and satisfaction among black working wives. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1978, 40, 799–805.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmstrom, L. L. The two career family. Cambridge, Mass.: Schenkman, 1972. Chapter 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, J. G., & Hunt, L. L. Dilemmas and contradictions in status: The case of the dualcareer family. Social Problems, 1978, 24, 407–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • John-Parsons, D. S. Continuous dual-career families: A case study. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1978, 3, 30–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, J. T. The structure of scientific revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lein, L., Durham,, Pratt, M., Schudson, M., Thomas, R., & Weiss, H. Final report: Work and family life (NIE Project No. 3-3094). Cambridge, Mass.: Center for the Study of Public Life, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, M., Humphreys, E., Meis, S., & Scheir, W. No exit for wives: Sexual division of labor and the cumulation of household demands. Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 1975, 12, 424–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michel, A. Comparative data concerning the interaction in French and American families. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1967, 29, 337–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, S. M. The making of a confused middle-aged husband. In C. Safilios-Rothschild (Ed.), Toward a sociology of women. Lexington, Mass.: Xerox College Publishing, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nye, F. I. The dependent variable in marital research. Pacific Sociological Review, Fall 1959, pp. 24–28.

  • Nye, F. I., & Hoffman, L. W. The employed mother in America. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakley, A. Are husbands good housewives? New Society, 1972, 112, 377–379.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orden, S. R., & Bradburn, N. M. Working wives and marital happiness. American Journal of Sociology, 1969.

  • Parsons, T. B., & Bales, R. Family, socialization, and interaction process. New York: Free Press, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pleck, J. H. The work family role system. Social Problems, 1978, 24, 417–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poloma, M. M., & Garland, T. N. The married professional woman: A study in the tolerance of domestication. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1971, 33, 531–540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapaport, R. Couple symmetry and enjoyment. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1974, 36(3), 985–992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapaport, R. Men, women and equity. Family Coordinator, 1975, 24, 421–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapaport, R., & Rapaport, R. N. The dual career family. A variant family and social change. Human Relations, 1969, 22, 3–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapaport, R., & Rapaport, R. N. Further considerations on the dual career family. Human Relations, 1971a, 24, 519–533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapaport, R., & Rapaport, R. N. Dual-career families. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin, 1971b.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ridley, C. A. Exploring the impact of work satisfaction and involvement on marital interaction when both partners are employed. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1973, 35, 224–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Safilios-Rothschild, C. The influence of the wife's degree of work commitment upon some aspects of family organizations and dynamics. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1970, 32, 681–691.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spiegel, J. Transaction — The interplay between individual family and society. New York: Science House, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprey, J. The family as a system in conflict. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1969, 31, 699–706.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staines, G. L., Pleck, J. H., Shepard, L. J., & O'Conner, P. Wives' employment status and marital adjustment: Yet another look. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1978, 3, 90–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiehm, J. Insidious intimacy. Social Policy, 1976, 7, 12–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tavris, C. A., & Jayaratne, T. How happy is your marriage? Redbook, 1976, 132, 90–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, K. E. Time spent by husbands in household work. Family Economics Review, 1970, 4, 8–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weingarten, K. The employment pattern of professional couples and their distribution of involvement in the family. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1978, 3, 43–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yankelovich, D. The meaning of work. In J. M. Rosaw (Ed.), The worker and the job. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, M., & Willmott, P. The symmetrical family. New York: Pantheon, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northwestern University, USA

    Sara Yogev

Authors
  1. Sara Yogev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The author wishes to thank Arlene Kaplan Daniels for her assistance in preparing this manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yogev, S. Happiness in dual-career couples: Changing research, changing values. Sex Roles 8, 593–605 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289894

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289894

Keywords

Search

Navigation