Researching Within‐Household Distribution: Overview, Developments, Debates, and Methodological Challenges

Abstract

Research into intrahousehold finances chal-lenges key assumptions about the family as a unitary whole, investigates the extent of sharing within it, examines mechanisms of control and allocation of resources, and reveals the personalized nature of different monies. This article presents an overview of research on within-household distribution (understood as both outcome and process). It discusses major questions addressed, including inequalities between (gendered) individuals and the potential reasons for these. It outlines significant developments and debates, within qualitative research in particular, in relation to the unit of analysis (traditionally, the married couple), the texture and meaning of financial dealings within couples, and the tensions between autonomy and equal sharing as values. It then discusses several key methodological challenges, and concludes by highlighting some policy implications of central research messages. Throughout, it draws on and discusses the other articles in this special section, which explore key methodological issues in researching within-household distribution.''Research on the material aspects of family life is not easy because so much economic behaviour

When My Money Becomes Our Money: Changes in Couples’ Money Management

“…But even in marriages Lauer and Yodanis (2011) observe a slight tendency towards independent management. Two interpretations of this are proposed (Bennett, 2013). On the one hand, separation of finances is seen as a phenomenon primarily related to specific stages in partners' lives and its increase is ascribed to the diversification of family forms (Beck-Gernsheim, 1998).…”

Dinero y matrimonio: elecciones de pareja y sus predictores

“…«Dinero y matrimonio: elecciones de pareja y sus predictores». Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, Los estudios pioneros y las conclusiones de Pahl (1980, 1983, 1989) sobre las modalidades de gestión del dinero de las parejas británicas 2 dieron lugar a una amplia e importante línea de investigación (Bennett, 2013) desde el punto de vista académico y sociopolítico, ya que puede informar las elecciones relativas a políticas de bienestar, familia y matrimonio. La asignación económica intrafamiliar influye en el nivel de vida y determina la autonomía y el bienestar de los miembros de la familia (Ashby y Burgoyne, 2008;Burgoyne et al, 2007;Pahl, 1995;Sonnenberg, 2008; Vogler y Pahl, 1993).…”

“…Los hogares multigeneracionales son poco comunes en los países en los que se han enfocado las investigaciones anteriores respecto a este tema, los cuales se han centrado en las familias nucleares -parejas con/sin hijos dependientes (Bennett, 2013)-. Es probable que las particularidades de las relaciones domésticas en las familias ampliadas y múltiples influyan en la gestión del presupuesto.…”

“…Coherentemente con lo reportado en la literatura, nos encontramos algunas dificultades para aplicar la tipología de Pahl y Vogler (Ashby y Burgoyne, 2008;Bennett, 2013;Evertsson y Nyman, 2012). La gestión de la pareja no encaja siempre de manera inequívoca en una de las modalidades previstas.…”

“…Coelho, Lina and Ferreira-Valente, Alexandra (2016 Since Jan Pahl's pioneering studies (1980,1983,1989) on the ways British couples manage their monies, a significant strand of research has been built on her findings (for a review see Bennett, 2013). This has proved to be a prominent field of research, from both an academic and a socio-political perspective, as it has the potential to inform, among other things, welfare, family and marriage policy choices.…”