Dual-Earner Marriages

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in dyadic adjustment and the family social environment among four groups formed on the basis of different patterns of husband-wife occupational commitment. The sample consisted of 92 working couples with at least one child under the age of 18. Using multivariate analysis of covariance and controlling for family life cycle variables, groups that were formed on the basis of husband-wife patterns of commitment to work differed on the composite of dependent variables (dyadic adjustment and the family social environment). Differing emphasis in the family environment on achievement of family members and on family system organization were important contributors to overall differences among groups. The group in which both husband and wife scored high on occupational commitment, the dual-career couples, placed greater emphasis on both achievement and organization than did the other three groups. Differentiating dual-career from dual-work marriages by measuring commitment to work is compared to more frequently used methods of classification.