Abstract
Feminism is rarely used as a theoretical framework for couple finance research. The purposes of the present paper are (a) to discuss couple finance research in the context of feminism to encourage more frequent and explicit use of feminism in couple finance research, (b) to present a gender and couple finances model, and (c) to test this model with longitudinal dyadic data. Using actor-partner interdependence models (APIM) and data from 327 U.S. mixed-gender couples, relational power was explored as a potential mediator between four couple financial processes (earners of money, access to money, management of money, and conflict about money) and two relationship outcomes (relationship quality and relationship stability). Results suggest that couple financial processes are associated with relationship outcomes and with joint management as well as low conflict being key longitudinally. Additionally, although power may not play a mediating role, it appears to be connected to couple financial processes and relationship outcomes concurrently. Gender differences as well as both actor and partner effects are explored. This research has implications for researchers, clinicians, and educators. For example, clinicians may want to encourage their clients to use joint bank accounts, manage their money jointly, and minimize financial conflict. Gender, and therefore power, are inseparably tied to couple finances. When both spouses are involved in financial processes, partners tend to be more empowered, and relationship quality and stability tend to be higher.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albrecht, S. L. (1979). Correlates of marital happiness among the remarried. Journal of Marriage and Family, 41(4), 857–867. https://doi.org/10.2307/351485.
Allen, K. R. (2016). Feminist theory in family studies: History, reflection, and critique. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8(2), 207–224. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12133.
Allen, K. R., & Jaramillo-Sierra, A. L. (2015). Feminist theory and research on family relationships: Pluralism and complexity. Sex Roles, 73(3–4), 93–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0527-4.
Amato, P. R., & Rogers, S. J. (1997). A longitudinal study of marital problems and subsequent divorce. Journal of Marriage and Family, 59(3), 612–624. https://doi.org/10.2307/353949.
Amato, P. R., Booth, A., Johnson, D. R., & Rogers, S. J. (2007). Alone together: How marriage in America is changing. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674020184.
Archuleta, K. L., Britt, S. L., Tonn, T. J., & Grable, J. E. (2011). Financial satisfaction and financial stressors in marital satisfaction. Psychological Reports, 108(2), 563–576. https://doi.org/10.2466/07.21.PR0.108.2.563-576.
Arriaga, X. B. (2001). The ups and downs of dating: Fluctuations in satisfaction in newly formed romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 754–765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.5.754.
Atkinson, M. P., Greenstein, T. N., & Lang, M. M. (2005). For women, breadwinning can be dangerous: Gendered resource theory and wife abuse. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 1137–1148. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00206.x.
Ball, J., Cowan, P., & Cowan, C. (1995). Who's got the power? Gender differences in partners' perceptions of influence during marital problem-solving discussions. Family Process, 34(3), 303–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1995.00303.x.
Barnett, O., & LaViolette, A. (1993). It could happen to anyone: Why battered women stay. Newbury Park: Sage.
Barone-Chapman, M. (2013). Review of feminist research methodology: Making meanings of meaning-making. Feminism & Psychology, 23(2), 274–278. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353512472476.
Bay-Cheng, L. Y., Maguin, E., & Bruns, A. E. (2018). Who wears the pants: The implications of gender and power for youth heterosexual relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 55(1), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1276881.
Beckman, L. J. (2014). Training in feminist research methodology: Doing research on the margins. Women & Therapy, 37(1–2), 164–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2014.850347.
Bernasek, A., & Bajtelsmit, V. L. (2002). Predictors of women’s involvement in household financial decision-making. Financial Counseling and Planning, 13, 39–47 https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2ce1/90220e9a76dc3511d386dd41d71c39a684c1.pdf.
Bittman, M., England, P., Folbre, N., Sayer, L., & Matheson, G. (2003). When does gender trump money? Bargaining and time in household work. American Journal of Sociology, 109, 186–214. https://doi.org/10.1086/378341.
Blumstein, P., & Schwartz, P. (1983). American couples. New York, NY: William Morrow.
Britt, S. L., Hill, E. J., LeBaron, A. B., Lawson, D. R., & Bean, R. A. (2017). Tightwads and spenders: Predicting financial conflict in couple relationships. Journal of Financial Planning, 30(5), 36–42. https://www.onefpa.org/journal/Pages/MAY17-Tightwads-and-Spenders-Predicting-Financial-Conflict-in-Couple-Relationships.aspx.
Busby, D. M., Holman, T. B., & Taniguchi, N. (2001). RELATE: Relationship evaluation of the individual, cultural, and couple contexts. Family Relations, 50, 308–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2001.00308.x.
Byrne, M., Carr, A., & Clark, M. (2004). Power in relationships of women with depression. Journal of Family Therapy, 26, 407–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6427.2004.00291.x.
Conger, R. D., Rueter, M. A., & Elder, G. J. (1999). Couple resilience to economic pressure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(1), 54–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.76.1.54.
Conroy, A. A., McGrath, N., van Rooyen, H., Hosegood, V., Johnson, M. O., Fritz, K., ... Darbes, L. A. (2016). Power and the association with relationship quality in South African couples: Implications for HIV/AIDS interventions. Social Science & Medicine, 153, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.01.035.
Cromwell, R. F., & Olsen, D. H. (1975). Power in families. New York: Wiley.
Crosbie-Burnett, M., & Giles-Sims, J. (1991). Marital power in stepfather families: A test of normative-resource theory. Journal of Family Psychology, 4(4), 484–496. https://doi.org/10.1037//0893-3200.4.4.484.
Curran, M. A., McDaniel, B. T., Pollitt, A. M., & Totenhagen, C. J. (2015). Gender, emotion work, and relationship quality: A daily diary study. Sex Roles, 73, 157–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0495-8.
Deutsch, F. M., Roksa, J., & Meeske, C. (2003). How gender counts when couples count their money. Sex Roles, 48(7–8), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022982328840.
Dew, J. (2008). Marriage and finance. In J. J. Xiao (Ed.), Handbook of consumer finance research (pp. 337–350). New York: Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-75734-6_20.
Dew, J. (2011). The association between consumer debt and the likelihood of divorce. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 32(4), 554–565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-011-9274-z.
Dew, J. (2016). Revisiting financial issues and marriage. In J. J. Xiao (Ed.), Handbook of consumer finance research (2nd ed., pp. 281–290). New York: Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28887-1_23.
Dew, J., Britt, S., & Huston, S. (2012). Examining the relationship between financial issues and divorce. Family Relations, 61(4), 615–628. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00715.x.
Doucet, A., & Lee, R. (2014). Fathering, feminism(s), gender, and sexualities: Connections, tensions, and new pathways. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 6(4), 355–373. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12051.
England, P., Bearak, J., Budig, M. J., & Hodges, M. J. (2016). Do highly paid, highly skilled women experience the largest motherhood penalty? American Sociological Review, 81(6), 1161–1189. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122416673598.
Falicov, C. J. (2001). The cultural meanings of money: The case of Latinos and Anglo-Americans. American Behavioral Scientist, 45, 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027640121957088.
Farooqi, S. R. (2014). The construct of relationship quality. Journal of Relationships Research, 5(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2014.2.
Gottman, J. M. (2011). The science of trust: Emotional attunement for couples. New York: Guilford.
Greenberg, L. S., & Goldman, R. N. (2008). Emotion-focused couples therapy: The dynamics of emotion, love, and power. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/11750-000.
Gudmunson, C. G., Beutler, I. F., Israelsen, C. L., McCoy, J. K., & Hill, E. J. (2007). Linking financial strain to marital instability: Examining the roles of emotional distress and marital interaction. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 28(3), 357–376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-007-9074-7.
Heimdal, K. R., & Houseknecht, S. K. (2003). Cohabiting and married couples' income organization: Approaches in Sweden and the United States. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(3), 525–538. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00525.x.
Hill, E., Allsop, D. B., LeBaron, A. B., & Bean, R. A. (2017). How do money, sex, and stress influence marital instability? Journal of Financial Therapy, 8(1), 21–42. https://doi.org/10.4148/1944-9771.1135.
Jose, P. E. (2016). The merits of using longitudinal mediation. Educational Psychologist, 51(3–4), 331–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2016.1207175.
Kenney, C. T. (2006). The power of the purse: Allocative systems and inequality in couple households. Gender & Society, 20(3), 354–381. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243206286742.
Knudson-Martin, C. (2013). Why power matters: Creating a foundation of mutual support in couple relationships. Family Process, 52(1), 5–18.
Komter, A. (1989). Hidden power in marriage. Gender & Society, 3(2), 187–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124389003002003.
Lawrence, E., Bunde, M., Barry, R., Brock, R., Sullivan, K., Pasch, L., . . . Adams, E. (2008). Partner support and marital satisfaction: Support amount, adequacy, provision, and solicitation. Personal Relationships, 15, 445–463. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2008.00209.x.
LeBaron, C. D. L., Miller, R. B., & Yorgason, J. B. (2014). A longitudinal examination of women’s perceptions of marital power and marital happiness in midlife marriages. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 13(2), 93–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2013.852492.
Lennon, C. A., Stewart, A. L., & Ledermann, T. (2013). The role of power in intimate relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(1), 95–114. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407512452990.
Lindahl, K. M., Malik, N. M., Kaczynski, K., & Simons, J. S. (2004). Couple power dynamics, systemic family functioning, and child adjustment: A test of a mediational model in a multiethnic sample. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 609–630. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579404004699.
Little, T. D. (2013). Longitudinal structural equation modeling. New York City: Guilford Press.
Meisenbach, R. J. (2010). The female breadwinner: Phenomenological experience and gendered identity in work/family spaces. Sex Roles, 62(1–2), 2–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-009-9714-5.
Newman, D. A. (2003). Longitudinal modeling with randomly and systematically missing data: A simulation of ad hoc, maximum likelihood, and multiple imputation techniques. Organizational Research Methods, 6(3), 328–362. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428103254673.
Nock, S. L. (1998). Marriage in men’s lives. New York: Oxford University Press.
Norton, R. (1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and Family, 45, 141–151. https://doi.org/10.2307/351302.
Oka, M., Brown, C. C., & Miller, R. B. (2016). Attachment and relational aggression: Power as a mediating variable. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 44(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2015.1105716.
Oropesa, R. S., Landale, N. S., & Kenkre, T. (2003). Income allocation in marital and cohabiting unions: The case of mainland Puerto Ricans. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(4), 910–926. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00910.x.
Oyamot, C. M., Fuglestad, P. T., & Snyder, M. (2010). Balance of power and influence in relationships: The role of self-monitoring. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27(1), 23–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407509347302.
Pahl, J. (1995). His money, her money: Recent research on financial organisation in marriage. Journal of Economic Psychology, 16(3), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4870(95)00015-G.
Pasch, L., & Bradbury, T. N. (1998). Social support, conflict, and the development of marital dysfunction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.66.2.219.
Rodman, H. (1972). Marital power and the theory of resources in cultural context. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 3(1), 50–69. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41600800.pdf.
Roy, R. N., & Mitchell, Y. T. (2015). Feminist financial therapy. In B. T. Klontz, S. L. Britt, & K. L. Archuleta (Eds.), Financial therapy: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 253–266). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08269-1_15.
Sagrestano, L. M., Christopher, L. H., & Christensen, A. (1999). Perceived power and physical violence in marital conflict. Journal of Social Issues, 55(1), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00105.
Siegel, J. (1990). Money and marriage: A transparency to the struggles of intimacy. Journal of Independent Social Work, 4, 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1300/j283v04n04_05.
Smithson, J., Lewis, S., Cooper, C., & Dyer, J. (2004). Flexible working and the gender pay gap in the accountancy profession. Work, Employment and Society, 18, 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017004040765.
Su, C., Fern, E. F., & Ye, K. (2003). A temporal dynamic model of spousal family purchase-decision behavior. Journal of Marketing Research, 40(3), 268–281. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.40.3.268.19234.
Tichenor, V. J. (1999). Status and income as gendered resources: The case of marital power. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61(3), 638–650. https://doi.org/10.2307/353566.
Treas, J. (1993). Money in the bank: Transaction costs and the economic organization of marriage. American Sociological Review, 58, 723–734. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096283.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Married-couple households by labor force status of spouse: 1990 to 2009. Labor force, employment, and earnings U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical abstract of the United States. Retrieved from https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2010/compendia/statab/130ed/tables/11s0600.pdf.
Vogler, C. (1998). Money in the household: Some underlying issues of power. The Sociological Review, 46(4), 687–713. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.00136.
Vogler, C., & Pahl, J. (1994). Money, power and inequality within Marriage. The Sociological Review, 42(2), 263–288.
Wanic, R., & Kulik, J. (2011). Toward an understanding of gender differences in the impact of marital conflict on health. Sex Roles, 65, 297–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-9968-6.
Yodanis, C., & Lauer, S. (2007). Managing money in marriage: Multilevel and cross-national effects of the breadwinner role. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(5), 1307–1325. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00449.x.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
We have no conflicts of interest to report.
Informed Consent
Informed consent of participants was used in data collection.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 30.7 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
LeBaron, A.B., Holmes, E.K., Yorgason, J.B. et al. Feminism and Couple Finance: Power as a Mediator Between Financial Processes and Relationship Outcomes. Sex Roles 81, 140–156 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0986-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0986-5