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Female Breadwinner Families: Their Existence, Persistence and Sources

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Author Info
Drago, Robert (Pennsylvania State University)
Black, David (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne)
Wooden, Mark () (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

We develop a typology for understanding couple households where the female is the major earner – what we term female breadwinner households – and test it using data from the first two waves of the HILDA Survey. We distinguish temporary from persistent female breadwinner households and hypothesise, and confirm, that these two groups diverge on demographic, socio-economic status (SES), labour market and family commitment characteristics. Among the persistent group we further distinguish those couples where the dominance of a female earner is related to economic factors and those where it appears associated with a purposeful gender equity strategy. We again hypothesise and confirm that these household types significantly diverge, finding that men in the economic group exhibit low SES, poor labour market position, and low levels of commitment to family, while both the women and men in the equity type often achieve positive outcomes regarding gender equity and economic and family success.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1308.

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Length: 32 pages
Date of creation: Sep 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1308

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Related research
Keywords: dual-earner couples; female breadwinners; family structure; gender-role ideology; HILDA Survey; longitudinal data;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Bruce Headey & Mark Wooden & Gary Marks, 2004. "The Structure and Distribution of Household Wealth in Australia," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2004n12, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Mark Wooden & Simon Freidin & Nicole Watson, 2002. "The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA)Survey: Wave 1," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(3), pages 339-348. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Bloemen, Hans & Stancanelli, Elena, 2008. "Modelling the Employment and Wage Outcomes of Spouses: Is She Outearning Him?," IZA Discussion Papers 3455, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Elena Stancanelli, 2007. "Marriage and Work: an analysis for French couples in the last decade," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2007-10, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE). [Downloadable!]
  3. Seamus McGuinness & John Freebairn, 2007. "Who Are the Low Waged?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2007n08, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
  4. Hans Bloemen & Elena Stancanelli, 2008. "Modelling employment and wage outcomes of spouses: is she outearning him?," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2008-01, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE). [Downloadable!]
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