ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses couples' attitudes towards their paid work and family roles and the extent to which they bargain their responsibilities to suit their three-job situation. He explores husbands' and wives' perceptions of their own and their partner's family roles and the extent to which these are unconventional or viriarchal. The author does examines: who takes on the responsibility and allocates chores in the household; who does what and how much around the household; and who takes charge and how they react if the going gets tough in the household. Families under Trade-off families’ model wished to achieve ways in which they could handle paid work and family responsibilities properly. They perceived these responsibilities objectively, and continually tried to negotiate and bend the ground rules in search of efficiency. Families under Rigid families’ model depicted a somewhat traditional orientation to the provider role.
