Outlines by RGS

Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

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TOPIC 8: MARITAL WORK and FAMILY FINANCES

(Last modified August, 2010)

ASSIGNMENT: Chapter 8 in DeGenova et.al. and pages 392-394.

TOPIC: MARITAL WORK
.

Marital work
A.

WORK: activates that produce something of economic value

B.

MARITAL WORK: work done within the family

C.

3 types:
1.
money production
2.
people production
3.
household production

COMMENT: Can be overlap

.

MONEY PRODUCTION
.

Definition: work for pay

Few have choice

.
men: have no choice
.

women:
a.
until 1960s: women who worked were mainly per-married or
economically disadvantaged
b.

NOW: most women work; they also have no choice

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Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

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OCCUPATION:work for pay activites organized around a set of specific task

CAREER:

an occupation with certain characteristics

Commitment: individual is commited to occupation

Training: will trained for the occupation

Sacrifices:

Promotions:

willing to make sacrifices for the

occupation

DUAL-EARNER (DUAL-INCOME) FAMILY: both spouses work

DUAL-CAREER FAMILY =
.
Definition: both th husband and wife have career
.

Potential: very difficult to maintain

.

conflict: careers sometime conflict

Necessary sacrifices: hard to make a sacrifices for spouse without

loosing career

Outlines by RGS
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Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

PEOPLE PRODUCTION
.

Definition:

About MONEY:

Location:

Importance: critical:

Timing:

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION
.

Definition:

BIG 4:

Location:

About money:

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Outlines by RGS
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Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

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Current Patterns of Distribution of Marital Work:

.

SEPARATE SPHERES:
.

MEN's responsibility for marital work in Separate Spheres:

.

Over-riding responsibility:
(1)

As money maker (provider):

(2)

His status:

(3)

SUCCESSFUL HUSBAND:

PEOPLE PRODUCTION:

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION:

THREATS:

NUMBER to KNOW:

COMMENT: His ONLY day off was Sunday

COMMENT: 3000 hour work year versus today's 2000 hour work year
COMMENT: Great Depression: Passage of the federal law limiting a work
week to 40 hours
.

WOMEN's responsibility for marital work in Separate Spheres:

.

MONEY PRODUCTION:

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Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

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HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION:

PEOPLE PRODUCTION:

()

AS WIFE:

()

AS MOTHER:
(a)

Obligation:

(b)

Raising children:

HOUSEWIFE
()

New:

()

DEFINITION:

()

Allocation of Work:

SUCCESSFUL HOUSEWIFE:

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Outlines by RGS

Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

Current Dominant Work Pattern: DUAL HELPERS

.

DECLINE OF SEPARATE SPHERES:

DUAL HELPERS:

HUSBAND:

WIFE:

Why Development of Dual Helpers (3 steps):

.

WIVES WORKING:
.

Economic Changes in Society:

()

FAMILY WAGE:

()

Consequence:

()

Summary:

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Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

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Opportunities:
()

Jobs:

COMMENT: BOTH Bad jobs (low status, poorly paid, and dead end) AND Good jobs: Many
formerly male-dominated high status, well-paid, upwardly-mobile jobs opened up to women
Greater success in labor force:

ATTITUDE CHANGE (2nd step in evolution):

.

Pre-1970s:
()

Wives:

()

IF wife worked:

()

Husband considered failure IF:

From 1970s on:

()

Wife:

()

Husband:

Outlines by RGS
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Topic #8: Marital Work/Finances

Changes in Husbands:
.

Change:

Convergence of marital work hours for both:

()

Husbands hours:

()

Wife's hours: have decreased substantially

Dual-helpers compared to separate spheres

.

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DIFFERENCES:
.

MONEY PRODUCTION:

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION:

PEOPLE PRODUCTION:
()

WITH CHILDREN:

()

WITH SPOUSE:

CONTINUITIES:

HUSBANDS:

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION:

PEOPLE PRODUCTION:

EFFECT OF DUAL HELPER PATTERN

COMMENT: These notes consolidates the material in Chapter 9 in your text with my
information about families in which both husbands and wives work. Note that on those pages the
authors of your text emphasize issues of Dual Career. I think their emphasis is misplaced since
so few couples (probably less than 10% of couples in which both partners work) can maintain a
Dual Career family. The emphasis here is on the issues of Dual Income families (which includes
Dual Career).
.

BENEFITS:
.

MONEY:

EGALITARIANISM:

ECONOMIC SECURITY:

COSTS:
.

Role Conflict and role strain:

()

ROLE:

()

ROLE CONFLICT:

()

ROLE STRAIN:

MARITAL STRAIN CREATED IF:

()
()

Time deficits:
()

As individuals:

()

As family members:

CHILD CARE CHALLENGES:

.
.

ABSENCE OF CARE OF THE RELATIONSHIP:

GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT DUAL INCOME FAMILIES

(compared to single earner familes):
.

EGALITARIAN:

MARITAL SATISFACTION:

MARITAL INSTABILITY:

NEW TRENDS:
.

Staying home with children:

NUMBER TO KNOW: Costs young mothers 80% of income to work;

she takes home about 20 cents for every dollar she earns.
.

Family ahead of career:

2002: Census Bureau; about 2.5 million STAY AT HOME DADS (SAHDs)
.

Wife as primary money producer: in many families the wife is the primary money
producer

NUMBER TO KNOW: In about one half of all marriages, the wife makes as much IF NOT
MORE than her husband.

TOPIC FAMILY FINANCES

COMMENT: Societal factors provide the context of marital money discussions
and decision-making about money
MMMMMMMMCDLXXX. Current Economic Status of US:

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Good Times: . 45-70 great wealth created

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"Flat Times:70s-now flat lined
9344. Family incomes (taking inflation into account): stabilized on average

9345. Poverty rates: stable

9346. Income inequality:

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Why flat times?
9728. INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:

9729. INTERNATIONAL LABOR MARKET:

9730. DEINDUSTRIALIZATION: shift from a manufacturing economy to a

service economy

ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
MANUFACTURING ECONOMY: an economy with a large propoation
of jobs involving making goods

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
SERVICE ECONOMY: an economy with a large proportion of jobs
involving providing services
MMMMMMMMCDLXXXI. MONEY AND FAMILY

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Money is ALWAYS potential source of
marital tension: Why?
10880. About money discussions:
Result of poor marital communication about money
(11360)

financial status of family members: often unknown

(11361)

Spending style of family members:

(11362)

Presence of hidden investments:

(11363)

HIDDEN INVESTMENTS:

(11364)
Potential for over-spending due to unfilled
aspirations:

(11365)

UNFILLED ASPIRATIONS:

(11366)
Potential for the confusion of NEEDS versus
DESIRES:

(11367)

Potential cause of money problems:

10881. MARITAL MONEY FINANCIAL SATISFACTION depends on:

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Communication:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Decision making:

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Agreement:
MMMMMMMMCDLXXXII.
.

Families and Economic Strain

Accumulated bad debt:

.

Good debt:

Bad debt:

Inadequate income
.

BAD JOBS:

JOB LOSS:

GIVE-BACKS:

POVERTY
.

ABSOLUTE POVERTY ("officially" poor)

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DEFINITION:

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Economic consequences:

EXAMPLE: SD; new program; tax rebate for all food purchases for those who
make less than 150% of official poverty
.

WORKING POOR:

COMMENT: SDSU FTYR employees drawing food stamps

.

WELFARE POOR

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Definition:

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
WELFARE:
EXAMPLES: As many as 77 different programs; Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credit, TANF,
energy assistance, nutrition assistance, housing assistance, and new programs to ensure child
health (Soure: Cato Institute)

ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
AFDC
(20576)
(20577)

DEFINITION:

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
TANF
(20960)

Definition:

COMMENT: Began July 1, 1997

(20961)

significant characteristics:

(a)
(b)

ENTITLEMENT:

(c)

temporary
i)
ii)

(d)
MMMMMMMMCDLXXXIII.

work focused:

FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Definition:
1.

Why?

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(1)

About alimony:

(2)

ALIMONY:

(3)

About child support:

(4)

CHILD SUPPORT:

(5)

COMPLIANCE with court-ordered child support:

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Marital status:
COMMENT: 1/3 of all children born; 7 of 10 babies born to teenage mothers
are to unwed females

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Occupational status:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Occupational income of full time work:
MMMMMMMMCDLXXXIV.

UNEMPLOYMENT (Special case of financial stress)

A.

Definition:

B.

If financial strain avoided:

C.

If financial strain NOT avoided: