Vitali ESRC - Female-Breadwinner Families in Europe

CONTEXT: In developed countries today women earn the largest share of their household income in about one in four couples (Winkler et al. 2005; Vitali et al. 2014). Families are therefore becoming increasingly dependent upon women's labour income, especially during the recent economic crisis (Harkness 2013). However, we do not know much about why female-breadwinner families emerge, and what implications they bring about. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: This project will provide a detailed overview of female-breadwinner families in Europe and study the social and demographic outcomes that this change brings about for women, men and children. This will be the first project of its kind. It will have three main themes: 1. The emergence of a female-breadwinner model over time and space -Which are the forerunner countries and regions in the emergence of female-breadwinner families and when did the female-breadwinner family started to emerge in Europe? -Which institutional, normative and structural contexts facilitate the emergence of female-breadwinner families? This phase of the project will benefit from research visits: Professors Esping-Andersen (UPF) and Van Bavel (University of Leuven), will mentor the PI on the relevant sociological theories of gender and power. Susan Harkness (University of Bath) will provide mentoring on how to treat income variables. Spatial econometric techniques and multilevel modelling will be applied and household income data will be gathered from the Luxembourg Income Study. 2. The drivers leading to the emergence of female-breadwinner families -Why do women become breadwinners? -Are female-breadwinner families prevalent among specific social classes and ethnic groups? -Have the characteristics of female-breadwinner families changed over time? These questions will be answered using Understanding Society data, which provides longitudinal data on labour income of both partners, and applying fixed effects panel models, which allow controlling for unobserved individual heterogeneity. Regression analyses on International Social Survey Programme data will be employed to show how preferences and socio-demographic characteristics have changed between 1988 and 2012. 3. The implications of the emergence of female-breadwinner families -Are female-breadwinner families more at risk of union dissolution? This question will be answered in colaboration with Prof. Esping-Andersen during a research visit at UPF. -Is the housework and childcare tasks allocation different in female-breadwinner families with respect to male-breadwinner and equal-earner families? -Do women and men in female-breadwinner families have lower realized and intended fertility? This question will be answered in collaboration with Dr Testa during a research visit at VID. -Do women, men and children in female-breadwinner families have lower levels of wellbeing and happiness? These questions will be answered using data from Understanding Society and the Millennium Cohort Study (which provides information on happiness and wellbeing explicitly asked to children, in addition to parents). Fixed effects panel models will be employed. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS & BENEFITS: The project will provide the first solid analysis in an area that, given the increasing educational attainment and earning potential of women, is likely to become even more prominent in the future and that will have implications for the European and national political agenda. Research findings will be: -useful for UK and international policy makers in shaping family, employment and gender-egalitarian policies -useful for the third sector by providing individual charities with the information needed to understand the changing dynamics of relationships, wellbeing, and risk of divorce for modern families -relevant for members of the public by increasing awareness of the changing economic role of women in modern families.