Traditional Gender Role Orientation and Dyadic Coping in Immigrant Latino Couples: Effects on Couple Functioning

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to examine from a systemic‐transactional stress perspective (Bodenmann, 1997) whether a more traditional gender role orientation may affect psychological aggression and relationship satisfaction directly and indirectly by decreasing supportive (partner's efforts to help the other partner cope with stress) and common dyadic coping (partners' conjoint efforts to cope with stress) among first‐generation immigrant Latino couples. Structural equation modeling results from 104 couples indicate that the extent to which Latino men hold traditional gender role views and the extent to which those views differ from their female partners' may increase the risk for psychological aggression and relationship dissatisfaction directly, but also indirectly by reducing the couple's common dyadic coping and to some extent the male supportive coping. Latinas' traditional gender role views do not relate to either partner's psychological aggression or relationship satisfaction. The article discusses gender differences and research and clinical implications.

Spouses’ Gender Role Attitudes, Wives’ Employment Status, and Mexican-Origin Husbands’ Marital Satisfaction

“…Though the authors did not test the three-way interaction tested in this study, this finding supports the notion that incongruence between husbands' attitudes and wives' behavior may be negatively related to husbands' marital satisfaction (Vannoy & Philliber, 1992). Although the empirical literature is limited, several scholars have argued for the theoretical importance of further examining the association between husbands' marital satisfaction and the interaction of spouses' gender role attitudes and wives' employment status both among White couples (Vannoy & Philliber, 1992) and Latino couples (Falconier, 2013;Updegraff et al, 2007).…”

“…Similarly, Peplau (1983) suggested that the interaction of spouses' attitudes is likely a stronger predictor of husbands' marital satisfaction than wives' marital satisfaction. Falconier (2013) found that the extent to which (a) men held more sex-typed attitudes and (b) that there was discrepancy between husbands' own gender role attitudes and the attitudes of their wives predicted Mexicanorigin husbands' marital satisfaction. Among more sex-typed husbands, when attitudinal ideals cannot be enacted and men consider their provider "territory" to be threatened by their wives' employment, it follows that men who hold more sex-typed attitudes would be less satisfied in their marriages.…”

“…Much research in recent decades has explored gender role attitudes in marital relationships, although most studies have been limited to samples of primarily White and middle class couples (Baca-Zinn, 1980;Baker, 2004). Findings from these studies suggest that husbands tend to be more satisfied when husbands endorse less sextyped gender-role attitudes than when they endorse more sex-typed attitudes (Amato & Booth, 1995;Falconier, 2013), and when partners have matched gender role attitudes (McHale & Crouter, 1992;Minnotte et al, 2010).…”

“…Previous research has explored the association between spouses' gender role attitudes and marital satisfaction and quality (e.g., Amato & Booth, 1995;Falconier, 2013;Loscocco & Spitze, 2007;McHale & Crouter, 1992); however, much of the research in this area has been conducted with White, middle-class couples. In addition, very few studies (e.g., Minnotte et al, 2010;Sayer & Bianchi, 2000) have explored how husbands' and wives' attitudes might interact to be related to marital satisfaction, though other studies have mentioned its importance (e.g., Updegraff, Crouter, Umaña-Taylor, & Cansler, 2007).…”

“…In addition, very few studies (e.g., Minnotte et al, 2010;Sayer & Bianchi, 2000) have explored how husbands' and wives' attitudes might interact to be related to marital satisfaction, though other studies have mentioned its importance (e.g., Updegraff, Crouter, Umaña-Taylor, & Cansler, 2007). A separate body of research has explored gender roles and gender role attitudes among Mexican-origin couples (e.g., Baca Zinn, 1980;Hondagneu-Sotelo, 1992), but has only rarely examined these constructs in the context of marital satisfaction (e.g., Falconier, 2013). Much of the early research on gender roles in samples of…”