| Book Edition | 8th Edition |
| Author(s) | Funder |
| ISBN | 9780393421781 |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Subject | Psychology |
In many countries of the world, women have increased opportunities to seek education. Higher scholastic abilities also open up doors for women to gain higher-remuneration jobs. This access to higher income and higher schooling denotes a departure from the traditional gender roles. In earlier days, women used to focus on childcare and other domestic duties.
In the past, earning money was the domain of men. With the changing social world, the social demands are also changing and individuals have to adapt to these changes. When the female partner in a relationship earns more and is more educated than the husband, they might contribute more financially. This reduces their likeliness to contribute to domestic chores and care for children. When the male partner earns more and is more educated than the female partner, a similar pattern of behavior is observed. When the income gap between the male and the female partners is small, it is found that there is equal distribution of labor. These findings indicate that the gender roles within a marriage that have been practiced for many years have started changing as more women get educated and get high-income jobs.
In various democratized countries throughout the world, women's access to higher education and higher income potential is increasing even more than men. It has been found that women who earn more than their partners, contribute more financially, and are more educated are less likely to participate in domestic chores and child-rearing practices, which is a departure from the traditional gender roles. Men who earn less than their wives equally contribute to the household. These findings indicate a shift in the traditional gender roles within a marriage. Men might contribute more toward household duties and childcare as the wage and educational gaps between men and women reduce.