The Gender-Equality Paradox: Class and Incongruity Between Work-Family Attitudes and Behaviors

Abstract

Most women and men at the upper end of the social-class continuum express greater desire to share paid and unpaid labor equally, whereas less educated couples with less skilled occupations and less money tend to voice more enthusiasm for specialized gender roles. But the behavior of many couples does not align fully with their attitudes, thus leading them to live unexpectedly egalitarian or nonegalitarian lives. I argue that this gender-equality paradox is explained by social structures related to the organization of work and family that act as potent counterforces to attitudes. After reviewing the literature on social class, gender-egalitarian attitudes, and behavior, I develop a theory of lived and spoken gender egalitarianism to explain these patterns.

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