Family Status and Criticism of Gender Inequality at Home and at Work

Abstract

The literature on gender attitudes indicates that acceptance of women's involvement in the labor force is greater than acceptance of changes in the domestic division of labor. We argue that this difference exists because challenges to inequality in the home are especially threatening to men's interests and that women's dependence on men plays a role in shaping interpretations of gender inequality. To test these claims, we explore the relationship between family status and criticism of gender inequality in the home and at work. Family ties discourage criticism: marital status is particularly important in predicting women's criticism, while parental status is especially important for men. Therefore, we conclude that interests play a part in shaping men's gender-related attitudes and that dependence on men is a factor in shaping women's attitudes.