Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance: Couples with Egalitarian Practices in their Transition to First-Time Parenthood in Spain

Abstract

This study analyses dual-earner couples' subjective satisfaction with work-life balance after having their first child. We draw on a longitudinal qualitative analysis of 31 Spanish couples who showed an egalitarian division of housework prior to childbirth.Participating couples were interviewed during pregnancy and about 18 months after the birth. We analysed individuals' subjective feelings of satisfaction with the way that childcare was organised. The study reveals that half of the couples moved towards a traditional gender division of childcare, but that this did not necessarily entail dissatisfaction with work-life balance. Satisfaction with work-life balance is less dependent on specific arrangements than on whether initial expectations are fulfilled.

Children of the (gender) revolution: A theoretical and empirical synthesis of how gendered division of labour influences fertility

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“…People experience role conflict when they find themselves pulled in various directions as they try to respond to the many statuses they hold. Role conflict theory posits that 'individuals have limited time and energy and adding extra roles and responsibilities necessarily creates tension between competing demands and a sense of overload and inter-role conflicts (Marshall & Barnett, 1993;González, Lapuerta, Martín-García & Seiz, 2018). The theory explains that commitment to multiple roles can lead to incompatible and/or excessive role expectations, which in turn can lead to physical and mental disequilibria (Fowlkes, 1987;Ward, 2004).…”

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