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He earns the bread and butter and I earn the cream

Job insecurity and the male breadwinner family in South Wales

Bibliographic Data

ID2373040
AuthorsN Charles (0000-0003-4242-017X, University of Warwick), E P Skone James (Swansea University), Emma James (0000-0002-5214-0035, University of Wales)
Year2005
Volume19
Issue3
Pages481-502
Publication date2005-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWork Employment and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0950-0170 • E-ISSN: 1469-8722
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0950017005055667
OpenAlexW2041964780
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited18

This article explores the relation between job insecurity, male breadwinner ideology and family forms drawing on qualitative, in-depth interviews with women and men working in three organizations in a specific travel-to-work area in South Wales. We argue that a modified form of male breadwinner family is still widespread in this part of Britain, but that the elements that constitute male breadwinner ideology and the male breadwinner family are disrupted by men's job insecurity. There are few signs of the emergence of a dual breadwinner/dual carer family, although the families of 42 percent of our respondents conformed to a dual earner family form. The only circumstance where men took on more of the care work was in a situation of role reversal as a result of men's job insecurity and/or job loss and was most evident amongst couples where both were on low incomes with insecure jobs

Demographic economics · Dual (grammatical number · Economics · Ideology · Political science · Sociology · Work (physics · Employment and Welfare Studies · Engineering · Gender Studies · Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

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Unique citing works26
Citations per year1,3
Citation span2006 - 2025 (20)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 26
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