TWO-CAREER FAMILIES

Two-Career Families

Two-Career Families

What are Two Career families?

A dual-career or two career family comprises of couples who are both employed. Often, their jobs require a higher degree of commitment and devotion. A two-career family can also be defined as a family in which "both heads of the house pursue their careers while maintaining a family” (Hall, 1979).

Researchers on the topic believe that the lifestyle paired with high levels of economic rewards, prestige, investment and responsibility is likely to increase in the coming decades (Sayer et. al, 2004). Maintaining a healthy family life while committed to a full time job is quite tough. Presently, it is quite difficult to determine the number of people in the lifestyle. However, it is certain that the prevalence of two-career families would continue to grow. The two-career family lifestyle is especially common in metropolitan cities i.e. New York etc.

History of Two Career families

An analysis of the recent history reveals that women are continually entering the workforce at a consistent pace. Managing family life becomes a serious issue when both parents are employed. The lifestyle has been prevalent for quite a while in the American society. Primarily, the big cities i.e. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago house a vast majority of dual career families (Reich, 2001). A close analysis reveals that with growing trends of education; the dual-career lifestyle has become mainstream over the past decade. A vast number of married women go to work each year.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Two career Families?

A two-career family holds a number of challenges for all the members of the family. Children often face issues of parental neglect and depression when both parents are employed. Also, it can lead to a number of issues in interpersonal and intimate relationship between the couple. The couples who choose the lifestyle should be well aware of its consequences and its requirements (Rapport, 1969).

Cultural Considerations

The element of culture heavily influences the quality of relationship in two-career families. Western cultures tend to be more prone to the two-career lifestyle as compared to their Eastern counterparts (Palladino, 2006). However, it has been observed that the trend of two-career families is increasing in developing countries as well i.e. India, China, etc.

Issues in Two -Career Family

Couples who are involved in the lifestyle often face issues of time, mobility, parental supervision and issues in interpersonal/intimate relationships. It is also believed ...