Emotion-Work Performance Among Dual-Earner Couples

Abstract

This study compares four theories of domestic labor in their ability to predict relative emotion-work performance among dual-earner couples. Specifically, the authors investigate the effects of gender ideology, time availability, relative resources, and crossover factors on the dependent variable of relative emotion-work performance using seemingly unrelated regression. The analysis is performed on data from a random sample (N = 156) of dual-earner couples in northern Utah. Results suggest that for men, partner's work-to-family spillover is negatively related to relative emotion work performance and men with more traditional gender ideologies report performing more emotion work relative to their partners. For both men and women, relative housework performance is positively related to relative emotion-work performance. The findings from the study suggest that new theories are needed to adequately predict this particular form of domestic labor.

Why Do Women Do the Lion’s Share of Housework? A Decade of Research

“…If we wish to gain more knowledge of the differences and similarities in unpaid work that exist between men and women, we believe a conceptualization that includes a broader range of tasks should be adopted. If all productive activities completed outside of paid employment are to be taken into account, intermittent and childcare tasks, emotion work, volunteering, and support work should be studied alongside the routine tasks usually measured, instead of in separate literature (see Erickson 2005;Hook 2004;Minnotte et al 2007, for similar arguments). Furthermore, in the future, we should follow in the footsteps of the growing number of researchers who study both absolute and relative contributions to unpaid labor.…”

His and Her Perspectives: Gender Ideology, Work-to-Family Conflict, and Marital Satisfaction

“…Due to space constraints, only 10 items from the original scale were included on the questionnaire, and items were selected on the basis of relevance to the lives of couples juggling work and family responsibilities, with items that seemed antiquated excluded. This version of the scale has been used in other published studies (Minnotte et al 2007;Stevens et al 2001). Respondents were asked to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the following items: "(a) Swearing and obscenity are more repulsive in the speech of a woman than a man; (b) When the wife works outside the home, the husband should share in household tasks such as washing dishes and doing the laundry; (c) Women should worry less about their rights and more about becoming good wives and mothers; (d) Women should assume positions in business and all professions, along with men; (e) A woman should not expect to have quite the same freedom of action as a man; (f) The leadership of a community should be largely in the hands of men; (g) Women should be given equal opportunity with men for apprenticeship in the various trades; (h) Sons in a family should be given more encouragement to go to college than daughters; (i) In general, the father should have greater authority than the mother in rearing of children; and (j) There are many jobs in which men should be given preference over women in being hired."…”

Tending to the Emotions of Children: Predicting Parental Performance of Emotion Work with Children

“…Following the work of other scholars, we define emotion work as managing the emotional climate in family settings, which includes behaviors such as providing support or calming people when they are upset (Erickson, 1993(Erickson, , 2005Minnotte, Stevens, Minnotte, & Kiger, 2007). Recognizing the importance of emotion work represents a major change from earlier, more traditional, conceptions of fatherhood that centered on breadwinning as the key responsibility of fathers (Cabrera et al;Doherty, Kouneski, & Erickson, 1998;LaRossa, 1997;Parsons, 1955).…”

“…The provision of emotional support to family members, although often viewed as a natural part of family life, entails considerable effort and energy (Daniels, 1987;Hochschild, 1983Hochschild, , 1989James, 1989). Many scholars studying the provision of emotional support conceptualize it as work and as an important type of domestic labor referred to as emotion work in private contexts (Duncombe & Marsden, 1995;Hochschild, 1983Hochschild, , 1989Minnotte et al, 2007). Daniels argued that the failure to recognize the provision of emotional support as work represents a continuing undervaluing of labor traditionally associated with women.…”

“…Previous scholarship has examined the antecedents of emotion work performed in support of spouses; however, fewer studies have investigated the predictors of parental performance of emotion work with children (Erickson, 1993(Erickson, , 2005Minnotte et al, 2007). Given the continued gender imbalance in both emotion work performance (in the context of couples) and child care, we focus our attention on predicting relative emotion work performance with children.…”