Gender Differences in the Relationships between Parental Marital Conflict,Differentiation from the Family of Origin,and Children’s Marital Stability

Abstract

This study aimed to examine gender differences in the relationships between parental marital conflict, differentiation from the family of origin, and children’s martial stability. Data were collected from 453 married individuals in South Korea. The results revealed that parental marital conflict was directly related to children’s marital stability albeit only among married men. Emotional cutoff and family projection mediated the relationship between parental marital conflict and children’s marital stability among men and women, respectively. These findings can be used to develop gender-specific evidence-based interventions that enhance marital stability (e.g., programs for married and premarital couples).     

性别对工作→家庭冲突的影响机制:基于社会角色理论的实证分析

采用问卷调查法,对来自上海地区的261名企业管理者进行调查,探讨了性别与组织分割供给、工作中心度及工作→家庭冲突的关系。结果表明:⑴性别对工作→家庭冲突的预测作用显著,男性比女性经历的工作→家庭冲突更多;⑵组织分割供给和工作中心度在性别与工作→家庭冲突之间的中介效应均显著。相比女性而言,男性员工因获得的组织分割供给较少且其自身的工作中心度较高,导致其经历的工作→家庭冲突更多。     

Gender Role Ideology as a Moderator of the Relationship between Social Power Tactics and Marital Satisfaction

The study examined whether the Power Interaction Model is applicable for explaining the choice of power tactics in conflict situations among Israeli married couples. In addition, gender role ideology was tested as a moderator of the relationship between power usage and marital satisfaction. Seventy-eight couples reported on self usage and spouse’s usage of power tactic behaviors during conflicts and completed questionnaires assessing marital satisfaction, gender role ideology (traditional, liberal) and demographics. Findings indicated greater agreement within couples for harsh rather than for soft tactic preference. As expected, preference for harsh tactics was associated with lower marital satisfaction yet gender role ideology moderated this association. The role of conflict and power usage in traditional and liberal families was addressed.     

Occupational and Industry Sex Segregation and the Work–Family Interface

This study examines how gender interacts with the extent of occupational and industry sex segregation to affect family-to-work conflict, work-to-family conflict, coworker support, and supportive work-family culture. Using a theoretical framework that highlights the negative ramifications of working in a sex-atypical occupation or industry, we hypothesized that men and women would be impacted differently by the percentage of women in an occupation or industry. The data (N?=?2,810) are from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce (a US sample). Findings suggest that gender interacts with the percentage of women in an industry in significantly predicting coworker support and supportive work–family culture. Gender also interacts with the percentage of women in an occupation in significantly predicting family-to-work conflict.     

A Dyadic View of Support in Marriage: The Critical Role of Men’s Support Provision

This study examined how sensitive support provision and receipt were related to marital outcomes in a sample of 57 happily married, middle-class couples from the Midwestern U.S. To assess how observed supportive behaviors may be differentially associated with self-reported support satisfaction, marital love, and marital conflict for men and women, we utilized a series of Actor Partner Interdependence Models (APIM). This dyadic approach revealed significant gender differences regarding how the supportive role enacted (i.e., provider versus recipient) contributed considerably to marital outcomes. Specifically, husbands’ sensitive support provision significantly predicted both spouses’ support satisfaction. Additionally, husbands’ sensitive support provision was significantly associated with wives’ marital love. Wives’ reported conflict was predicted by the combination of both providing and receiving sensitive support. For husbands’ outcomes, husbands’ own sensitive support provision was most critically associated with their reporting greater love and less conflict. These findings reveal notable gender differences as men’s ability to provide sensitive support was critical not only to their wives’ marital outcomes, but to their own as well. Our results build upon and extend the literature implicating the importance of examining gender differences in supportive interactions in marriage. Moreover, our findings suggest that simultaneous consideration of spousal support receipt and provision is critical when seeking to understand how support is related to marital outcomes for men and women.     

Health-related Quality of Life, Marital Satisfaction, and Social Support in Medical Staff in Iran

Quality of life is a subjective and multidimensional concept that includes all aspects of an individual’s life. Many investigations indicate that marital satisfaction is an important determinant of quality of life and social support affects both marital satisfaction and quality of life. Since medical staff face job stressors in their everyday life, in the present cross-sectional study, the relationships between quality of life, marital satisfaction, and social support in medical staff in Tehran were analyzed. Data collection was performed in 653 medical staff using socio-demographic questions, the SF-36 questionnaire, the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Inventory, and the Social Support Questionnaire. The results revealed that men reported significantly higher quality of life and marital satisfaction than women, but there was no gender difference in social support. The quality of life and marital satisfaction domains were found to be differentially correlated among male and female participants. All domains of marital satisfaction were found to be significantly associated with the “vitality” and “mental health” domains among females and “physical functioning” domain in the male. Also, social support was associated with almost all quality of life domains in both sexes. The multiple regression analyses indicated that all the study variables combined with socio-demographic factors can explain between 12 % and 28 % of the variance in quality of life domains. Therefore, focusing on these factors could be an effective approach to improve quality of life in medical staff as a group with a stressful job.     

Work-family conflict: experiences and health implications among immigrant Latinos

Work-family conflict research has focused almost exclusively on professional, White adults. The goal of this article was to expand the understanding of culture and industry in shaping experiences and consequences of work-family conflict. Using in-depth interview data (n = 26) and structured survey data (n = 200) from immigrant Latinos employed in the poultry processing industry, the authors evaluated predictions drawn from emerging models emphasizing the influence of cultural characteristics such as collectivism and gender ideology on work-family conflict. Results indicated that immigrant Latinos in poultry processing experienced infrequent work-to-family conflict; both the level and the antecedents of work-to-family conflict differed by gender, with physical demands contributing to greater conflict for women but not men. In addition, there was little evidence that work-family conflict was associated with health in this population. These results demonstrate how traditional models of work-family conflict need to be modified to reflect the needs and circumstances of diverse workers in the new global economy.     

The Moderating Role of Gender and Gender Role Attitudes on the Link Between Spousal Support and Marital Quality

Researchers who examine the relation of gender role attitudes to division of household labor and marital quality often overlook its relation to emotional spousal support. Moreover, research on gender and marriage often ignores how gender role attitudes may explain the link between spousal support and marital quality. Secondary data analyses on a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults examined the interaction of gender and gender role attitudes on spousal support and marital quality. Emotional spousal support predicted better marital satisfaction and less conflict for traditional women and egalitarian men, whereas both instrumental and emotional spousal support predicted better marital satisfaction for egalitarian women and traditional men. These results suggest that within, as well as between, gender differences are important for understanding the contribution of spousal support to perceived marital quality.     

工作性通信工具使用与双职工夫妻的幸福感：基于溢出-交叉效应的分析

工作性通信工具使用(W_ICTs)是一种新兴的工作行为,指员工在非工作时间使用通信工具处理工作。为帮助组织和个人从整体上了解W_ICTs对员工生活的影响并对其进行管理,以278对配对调查数据为样本,基于溢出?交叉效应视角探讨了 W_I C Ts 与双职工夫妻幸福感的关系及作用机制。结构方程模型分析发现：丈夫和妻子的W_I C Ts均可通过加剧个体的工作→家庭冲突、诱发夫妻之间的社会阻抑行为进而降低双方的幸福感,同时也可通过促进个体的工作→家庭增益、抑制夫妻之间的社会阻抑行为进而提升双方的幸福感;但整体而言,妻子的 W_ICTs会显著降低夫妻双方的幸福感,而丈夫的 W_ICTs不会显著影响夫妻双方的幸福感。研究提示,组织在进行 W_I C Ts管理时,应充分考虑其对女性员工的负向影响;就员工个体而言,男性和女性均可通过加强与配偶的沟通,减少夫妻间的社会阻抑行为,进而预防 W_I C Ts 的不良影响,促进W_I C Ts的积极影响。     

Gender Differences in the Job Satisfaction of Public Employees: A Study of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea

A central paradox in studies of gender and job satisfaction is why women’s job satisfaction is not lower than men’s, given that women’s jobs are often inferior in terms of pay, autonomy, and promotional opportunity. The purpose of this study was to investigate this paradox by asking two questions: How does the job satisfaction of female public employees compare with that of male employees? How can we explain the gender differences in job satisfaction? Data from a survey of 5,128 public employees in Seoul Metropolitan Government indicate that women are more satisfied with their jobs than are men. Among demographic variables gender was the only significant predictor of job satisfaction; women emphasized intrinsic rewards, whereas men emphasized extrinsic rewards. The reasons for women’s high job satisfaction are discussed and explained.     

Predicting Gender Role Ideology Among Husbands and Wives in Israel: A Comparative Analysis

In this study, differences in gender role ideology among middle-aged husbands (n=126) and wives (n=126) in Israel were examined. In addition, the contribution of several sets of variables were tested to predict gender role ideology. The sets of variables were background variables (personal background, education/employment, family variables), personality traits (self-esteem, tolerance for ambiguity), spouse's gender role ideology, and life satisfaction. The findings indicate that husbands have more traditional gender role ideology than their wives, even though the correlations between spouses were moderate and significant. In addition, the variables were found to contribute more significantly to predicting the gender role ideology of wives than of husbands. For both partners, self-esteem was the most significant predictor. Moreover, one partner's gender role ideology was found to affect the other partner's ideology. Education/employment and some personal background variables were significant predictors of wives' gender role ideology, whereas life satisfaction predicted gender role ideology only for husbands.     

Men and masculinities: Scales for masculinity ideology and masculinity-related constructs

11 instruments for assessing beliefs and attitudes about men or masculinity standards (masculinity ideology) and 6 instruments that assess first-person accounts of gender role conflict, stress, or conformity to masculinity ideology are evaluated in this review. The 17 instruments were all developed in the past 2 decades and peer reviewed, and are readily accessible. An introductory section distinguishes between gender ideology and gender orientation and defines the scope of the first set of 11 scales as indexing the extent to which subjects accept the ideas and beliefs used to justify gender roles and relations. The second set of 6 scales focus on how men individually experience their gender. All scales were systematically evaluated according to whether they include items comparing the sexes or concerning gender relations or items assessing attitudes and beliefs about women. Inclusion of these types of items is noted in a table, along with information on whether the authors assumed one dominant form of masculinity, whether subscales were identified, and the psychometric properties of the scale and subscale. The review suggests that measures of gender orientation and measures of gender ideologies are independent and have differential correlates. Evidence also suggests that gender ideologies about men are distinct from and have differential correlates from gender ideologies about women or about gender relations in general. Items comparing genders should thus be avoided in measures of attitude toward masculinities. Several of the measures have too narrow a definition of masculinity.     

A Longitudinal Examination of the Directional Effects between Relationship Quality and Well-Being for a National Sample of U.S. Men and Women

The interaction between relationship quality and individual well-being has commonly been examined using a negative conceptualization of these constructs (e.g., relationship aggression and depression, respectively). The present study examines the direction of association between individual well-being and relationship quality. Specifically, we examined if this direction differed based on positive and negative conceptualizations of individual (i.e., life satisfaction and depression) and relationship (i.e., relationship satisfaction and conflict) well-being and how this differed for men and women. Using a series of cross-lagged path analyses across three time points, we found that relationship satisfaction and life satisfaction were mutually influential over time, but life satisfaction was only predictive of later conflict. Further, depression predicted both later relationship conflict and relationship satisfaction. Regarding gender differences, life satisfaction and relationship satisfaction exhibited a cyclical relationship for men but not for women. For women, but not men, depression was related to later relationship satisfaction. Taken together, these results suggest that nuances exist in the association between relationship quality and individual well-being depending on the conceptualization of the construct (negative vs. positive) and gender. More specifically, it appears that life satisfaction, or positive conceptualizations of well-being, may be more relevant to men’s relationship quality whereas depression, or negative conceptualizations of well-being, may be more relevant to women’s relationship quality. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Breasts Are for Men: Media, Masculinity Ideologies, and Men’s Beliefs About Women’s Bodies

Although masculinity ideology (MI) has been shown to predict men’s sexual risk-taking, less is known about MI’s contribution to men’s beliefs about women and their sexual bodies. Accordingly, we examined associations between masculine ideology, media consumption, and men’s attitudes about women’s reproductive body functions among a sample of 656 undergraduate men. Participants completed measures assessing their endorsement of traditional gender ideologies, their levels of media exposure and engagement, and their attitudes toward childbirth and breastfeeding. It was hypothesized that media use would contribute to traditional MI, and that traditional MI would contribute to negative views about breastfeeding and childbirth. Results supported these individual connections, but not a mediated model. Discussion focuses on implications of these findings for women’s lives.     

Marital satisfaction, recovery from work, and diurnal cortisol among men and women.

DESIGN: Multilevel modeling was used to model relationships between salivary cortisol, daily diary ratings of work experiences, and Marital Adjustment Test scores (Locke & Wallace, 1959), in a sample of 60 adults who sampled saliva 4 times per day over 3 days. RESULTS: Among women but not men, marital satisfaction was significantly associated with a stronger basal cortisol cycle, with higher morning values and a steeper decline across the day. For women but not men, marital satisfaction moderated the within-subjects association between afternoon and evening cortisol level, such that marital quality appeared to bolster women's physiological recovery from work. For both men and women, evening cortisol was lower than usual on higher-workload days, and marital satisfaction augmented this association among women. Men showed higher evening cortisol after more distressing social experiences at work, an association that was strongest among men with higher marital satisfaction. CONCLUSION: This work has implications for the study of physiological recovery from work, and also suggests a pathway by which marital satisfaction influences allostatic load and physical health.     

Male Narcissism and Attitudes Toward Heterosexual Women and Men, Lesbian Women, and Gay Men: Hostility toward Heterosexual Women Most of All

The present study investigated links between heterosexual men’s narcissism and attitudes toward heterosexual and non-heterosexual women and men. Male narcissism was predicted to be associated with hostility toward heterosexual women more than toward other groups, indicating investment in patriarchal power more than in conservative gender ideology or nonspecific disdain toward all people. Hierarchical regression analyses of responses from 104 male undergraduates (95% Caucasian) from Ohio in the U.S. supported the hypothesis that men’s narcissism is related most robustly to hostility toward women, rather than to equivalent derogation of all groups. Moreover, men’s narcissism is not merely a maker of traditional gender ideology, but instead is associated with favorable attitudes toward lesbian women and is unrelated to attitudes toward gay men.     

Influence of maternal gender-role beliefs and role satisfaction on daughters' vocational interests

We examined whether maternal gender-role ideologies and role satisfaction influence daughters' vocational interests. 152 female undergraduate students (Mage = 18.7 years), from predominantly white, middle- to upper-class homes, as well as their mothers and fathers, participated voluntarily. Students identified their career choices, completed a gender-role ideology scale and an identification with parents questionnaire, and reported their perceptions of their mothers' and fathers' gender-role ideologies and role satisfaction. Each parent completed a gender-role ideology scale and a role satisfaction questionnaire. Path analyses support a model in which actual and perceived maternal attitudes (n= 135) influence the gender-role ideologies of daughters, which in turn influence the gender stereotyped nature of daughters' career choices (Q= .90; W= 14.00, p> .05); furthermore daughters' maternal identification moderated the relationship between perceived maternal gender-role ideology and own gender-role ideology. A similar model substituting fathers' attitudes (n= 128) did not fit the data. The results indicate how maternal attitudes influence daughters' career choice, and support the role of family socialization on children's career aspirations.     

Gender differences in marital quality and well-being in Chinese married adults

The present study addressed the issue of gender differences in marital quality and well-being in Chinese married men (N= 738) and women (N= 761). The results showed that males had significantly higher scores on the Chinese Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Chinese Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. While a longer duration of marriage was associated with higher levels of dyadic consensus and affectional expression in men, the duration of marriage was negatively related to marital adjustment and marital satisfaction in women. The data also showed that women displayed more psychiatric symptoms and midlife crisis problems and they had lower levels of positive mental health and perceived health status than men. While marital quality was positively related to well-being in both men and women, the impact of marital quality on well-being was generally found to be greater in women than in men.     

Reducing work-family conflict through different sources of social support

The present study examines the relationship between four sources of social support (i.e., spouse, relatives and friends, supervisor, and colleagues) and time and strain-based work-to-family and family-to-work conflict among 444 dual-earners. Gender differences with respect to the relationship between social support and work-family conflict were examined as well. The relationship between the sources of support and work-family conflict was tested using multiple regression analyses. Results showed that women reported more strain-based work-to-family conflict than men. Social support from spouse and from colleagues were related to family-to-work conflict, while none of the sources of social support were related to work-to-family conflict. Social support from supervisor and from colleagues were related differently to work-to-family conflict (time-based) and family-to-work conflict (strain-based) for men than for women. We conclude that social support is especially important in reducing family-to-work conflict.     

Reducing work–family conflict through different sources of social support

The present study examines the relationship between four sources of social support (i.e., spouse, relatives and friends, supervisor, and colleagues) and time and strain-based work-to-family and family-to-work conflict among 444 dual-earners. Gender differences with respect to the relationship between social support and work–family conflict were examined as well. The relationship between the sources of support and work–family conflict was tested using multiple regression analyses. Results showed that women reported more strain-based work-to-family conflict than men. Social support from spouse and from colleagues were related to family-to-work conflict, while none of the sources of social support were related to work-to-family conflict. Social support from supervisor and from colleagues were related differently to work-to-family conflict (time-based) and family-to-work conflict (strain-based) for men than for women. We conclude that social support is especially important in reducing family-to-work conflict.