Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes how women and men manage issues of togetherness and equality in their family relations. It demonstrates conflicts met by women and men in their everyday life while trying to unify the ideals of equality and togetherness. The book presents the theoretical viewpoints used to analyse gender equality. It is about perceptions of ethics and morals, and how these form the binding factor in the creation of both togetherness and equality. The book shows how the couples allocate money and property, and the reasoning about consumption and saving. It describes how couples manage oppositions and create boundaries, for example regarding the children and demands on time to oneself. The book consists of a summary of the results and an analysis of the main themes – the relationship between equality, autonomy and togetherness.