Work-family habits? Exploring the persistence of traditional work-family decision making in dual-earner couples

Abstract

Decisions made within the family have long been recognised as a central obstacle to achieving gender equality, not only in the home, but also in the workplace due to the interdependent relationship between work and family domains. Here we focus particularly on how couple-level work-family decision-making processes influence (non)egalitarian work-family decisions. We draw on a qualitative diary study with 60 participants, comprising 30 heterosexual, dual-earner couples situated in the UK, to examine work-family decision-making in daily practice. Our findings suggest that egalitarian family identities, previously highlighted as important, are necessary but insufficient in enabling egalitarian work-family decisions. Instead, our findings highlight the important role played by the decision-making processes couples engage in, particularly in relation to their frequently habitual nature. Thus, we show how, while family identities held by men and women may be converging, habitual decision-making processes often continue to prevent egalitarian daily arrangements. We introduce the concept of ‘work-family habits’ and develop a novel framework depicting daily work-family decision making processes engaged in by dual-earner couples, revealing how each of these processes can contribute to either more traditional or egalitarian work-family practices.