Adaptive Strategies, Gender Ideology, and Work-Family Balance Among Dutch Dual Earners

• Published in: Journal of marriage and family Vol. 70; no. 4; pp. 1004 - 1014
• Main Authors: Wierda-Boer, Hilde H., Gerris, Jan R.M., Vermulst, Ad A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.11.2008; National Council on Family Relations; Blackwell Publishing; Wiley; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Adjustment (to Environment); Androgyny; Attitudes; Control variables; Coping; Dual career couples; dual earner; Families & family life; Family; Family (Sociological Unit); Family Environment; Family Life; Family relations; Family studies; Family Work Relationship; Femininity; Feminism; Foreign Countries; Gender; Gender Issues; Gender roles; General studies; Ideology; Income; Individual Characteristics; Job Satisfaction; Marriage; Masculinity; Men; Netherlands; Parent Attitudes; Parenting; Parents; Path Analysis; Personality; Personality Traits; Preschool Children; Questionnaires; Role; Sex roles; Sexual Identity; Social Attitudes; Social Behavior; Social Environment; Social Influences; Sociology; Sociology of the family. Age groups; Success; Time; Work and Family; Work hours; Work life balance; work-family balance; Young Children; Netherlands; Family Role; Dual earner family; Parental Role; Ideology; Work; Family; Gender
• ISSN: 0022-2445; 1741-3737
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00542.x

Using questionnaire data on 149 Dutch dual-earner couples with young children participating in the European Famwork study, we examine how adaptive strategies and gender ideology relate to parents' perceived success in balancing work and family. Path analysis indicates that some adaptive strategies may harm individuals' work-family balance, particularly when they are made in the domain where the time budget is limited. In the need to succeed in multiple roles, however, endorsement of traits traditionally linked with the opposite gender, that is masculine traits for women and feminine traits for men, seems beneficial. We speculate that two underlying mechanisms -- social pressure and time constraints -- jointly operate in determining perceived success in balancing work and family.