Once upon a time, the world believed in certain outdated ideas – like men being the sole breadwinners and women being homemakers. But now, we’ve come a long way, embracing more inclusive practices in the business world. However, there’s still something interesting that’s been discovered. This is what I mean when I say “You can never be too sure”.
Researchers at the University of Bath did some digging and found that when women become the main earners in a relationship, some men feel a bit down in the dumps, a bit of an inferiority complex. Yep, they reported lower levels of well-being in such situations. On the other hand, when men are the ones bringing home the bacon or both partners are working, they tend to feel happier.
The Study
This discovery came from studying over 42,000 people in nine countries. They measured well-being by asking folks how satisfied they felt with life, and men rated themselves 5.86 out of 10 when their partners were the sole earners. But, when men were the only earners, their life satisfaction score jumped to 7.16. Quite a difference, huh?
Interestingly, the study found that female breadwinner couples faced the biggest challenge when the man was unemployed. Unemployment tends to bring along not-so-happy feelings like self-doubt and loneliness, and men seemed to be hit harder by these emotions compared to women. Perhaps this is because women often have more supportive networks to fall back on.
Another factor playing a role in this mix is the good old gender expectations. Society has somehow linked being the breadwinner to being a “good” dad and a real man. So, when men find themselves out of work in a female-breadwinner household, it takes a toll on their sense of identity and happiness.
The Moving On Part
Now, we don’t want this to be the norm, do we? Let’s challenge these beliefs! Researchers suggest that we should break the link between being a man and being the breadwinner. They propose campaigns, incentives, and even changes to school curriculums to promote shared responsibilities in parenting and break those gender norms. So, there you have it – a fun and enlightening journey into the world of modern relationships and breadwinning blues. Let’s cheer on equality, celebrate diverse roles, and make sure both partners feel fantastic, regardless of who’s bringing home the dough!
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