ABSTRACT
The complications are generally greater, however, for working couples, where each partner must resolve this issue in a way that is congruent with the other’s commitments. The highly career-committed male executive, for instance, who follows the demands of his job wherever they take him, is an example of an almost exclusive focus on work. Traditional patterns have tended to approximate these extremes. The husband in our society has traditionally been minimally accommodative to family needs: his primary commitment has been to his work. Joint ventures, where feasible, can meet the needs of ‘equal-sharing’ couples, whether accommodative or non-accommodative. An entirely different way of responding to the potential conflict between the partners’ work links in patterns based on equal sharing is particularly suited to the needs of more non-accommodative or career-oriented couples.
