Gender-equal earnings in marriages are more common than believed: study
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Recent research has challenged traditional assumptions about earnings dynamics within marriages, revealing that gender-egalitarian income patterns are more prevalent than previously thought.
A study published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility sheds light on the evolving financial responsibilities of married couples over time, highlighting the significant role socio-economic factors play in shaping these patterns.
The study emphasizes that financial contributions in marriage are not static but shift due to life events, career changes, and external influences. This long-term perspective provides new insights into how spousal earnings patterns develop and how they influence broader economic and social inequalities.
"I examine how couples share work and family responsibilities throughout long-term relationships and the role of gender in these decisions," explained lead researcher Allison Dunatchik, assistant professor of sociology at the University of South Carolina.
Dunatchik highlighted that while people often marry partners with similar education and income levels, the dynamics of earning responsibilities after marriage remain underexplored.
Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, which tracked late Baby Boomer couples, Dunatchik employed Dual Group-Based Trajectory Modelling (GBTM) to analyze spousal earnings over up to 30 years of marriage. This approach allowed her to identify and categorize long-term earnings patterns within couples.
Surprisingly, the research found that approximately 60% of couples followed gender-egalitarian earnings trajectories when viewed from a long-term perspective—an increase compared to short-term analyses.
The study also revealed that these gender-equal earnings patterns manifest in three distinct ways, each influenced by the couple's socio-economic standing. While the specifics of these patterns vary, they reflect the growing shift toward more balanced economic partnerships in marriage.