Wives’ Employment and Marital Dissolution: Consideration of Gender Ideology and Marital Interaction

Deniz Yucel

Department of Sociology, William Paterson University of New Jersey, Wayne, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/sm.2012.22028                

Abstract

This study examines both the mediating effects of marital interaction and gender ideology, as well as the moderating effect of gender ideology in understanding the relationship between wives’ work hours and marital dissolution. This paper also explores the role of gender for couples who disagree in their relationship assessments. Wives’ additional work hours are positively associated with marital dissolution, an effect that operates through increased gender egalitarianism (for both spouses and for wives only) and decreased marital interaction (for both spouses and for wives only). Lastly, for couples who differ in their reports of gender ideology and marital interaction, the likelihood of marital dissolution is contingent upon wives’ assessments of their relationship. The implications of this study and the avenues for future research are also discussed.

Keywords

Wives’ Employment; Marital Dissolution; Gender Ideology; Marital Interaction

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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