Linkages Between Women's Provider-Role Attitudes, Psychological Well-Being, and Family Relationships

Abstract

The primary aim of this investigation was to examine the extent to which the meanings women attach to their provider‐role responsibilities are differentially related to their psychological well‐being and family relationships and to the division of labor in the home. The sample included 43 dualearner and 50 single‐earner families. In home interviews, wives reported on role overload, depression, satisfaction with the marriage, and attitudes regarding women's and men's roles. Their children completed two measures assessing daily hassles and their relationship with their mother. Reports of daily involvement in household work were obtained from wives and husbands during four telephone interviews. Discriminant function analyses indicated that aspects of women's psychological well‐being and marital and parent‐child relationships and of the division of labor discriminated women in four different provider groups: maidsecondary providers, ambivalent coproviders, coproviders, and homemakers. Wives who were ambivalent about their provider responsibilities tended to report higher levels of depression and overload and significantly lower marital satisfaction. Wives who saw their employment as secondary to that of their husbands reported relatively higher levels of depression and overload but also the highest levels of marital satisfaction.

Changing the Division of Household Labor: A Negotiated Process Between Partners

“…Income may only increase wives' power under some circumstances (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1991). For instance, Perry-Jenkins, Seery, and Crouter (1992) found that husbands of women who identified themselves as coproviders, viewing breadwinning as a responsibility that husbands and wives should share equally, spent more time completing household tasks than did husbands of homemakers and women who viewed their income as helpful but not essential.…”

Provider role attitudes, marital satisfaction, role overload, and housework: A dyadic approach.

“…For example, several studies have found that coprovider wives are more educated and earn more than wives espousing main-secondary attitudes (Helms-Erikson et al, 2000; Perry-Jenkins et al, 1992; Potuchek, 1992; 1997). Although similar patterns emerged in income and education for husbands’ provider role groups, mean differences were not statistically significant in the only study that examined variation based on husbands’ provider role attitudes (Perry-Jenkins & Crouter, 1990).…”

Cognitive Acrobatics in the Construction of Worker–mother Identity

“…According to provider role research, employed women fall into four categories: co-provider, primary provider, secondary provider, or ambivalent provider (Perry-Jenkins and Crouter 1990;Perry-Jenkins et al 1992). While provider roles reflect justifications for employment and provide insight into women's perceptions of their employment roles, there is still considerable overlap between provider roles, number of employment hours, and perceived choice to work; that is, primary and co-providers are typically employed full-time, secondary providers are employed part-time, and ambivalent providers perceive no choice in their employment decision (c. f. Perry-Jenkins and Crouter 1990;Perry-Jenkins et al 1992).…”