Men, Masculinities, and “Europe”

Masculinity, Bargaining, and Breadwinning

“…Across diverse national contexts, the role of a man as a breadwinner in the family is a central aspect of hegemonic masculinity (Connell 1995;Novikova et al 2005). In capitalist societies, this link between masculinity and paid work is historically rooted in institutions built on the assumption that men would be the primary breadwinners (Crompton 2006;Kimmel 1993;Lewis 1992).…”

“…Among dual-earner couples, Japanese men emphasize that they are the main providers in the family and that their wives' incomes are only for "minor" expenses (Ishii-Kuntz 1993). Comparative studies of masculinity in Western Europe have similarly underscored men's continuing high level of interest and involvement in paid work (Novikova et al 2005). Even in Sweden, where dual-earner couples are common, men typically work significantly more hours than their spouses do and are more likely than women to report that work is their main interest in life (Haas 1993).…”

“…Men in the postsocialist countries of Central and East Europe also often have employed spouses, in part because of the socialist legacy that emphasized women's paid work. However, men's jobs still took priority under socialism, and in the post-socialist era, the man-as-breadwinner model of the family has become increasingly popular (Gal and Kligman 2000;Novikova et al 2005).…”

“…One way to address this problem is to examine the phenomenon across many different cultural contexts. Widespread research documents that breadwinning is an important component of hegemonic masculinity across industrialized nations (Connell 1995;Novikova et al 2005). I argue that if gendered expectations about masculinity influence the degree to which men exchange housework for income, such behavior should vary according to the overall cultural emphasis on the activity of breadwinning, particularly the importance of paid work and earning a good income from that work.…”