Socio‐historical paths of the male breadwinner model – an explanation of cross‐national differences1
Abstract
It is often assumed that in the historical transformation to modern industrial society, the integration of women into the economy occurred everywhere as a three‐phase process: in pre‐modern societies, the extensive integration of women into societal production; then, their wide exclusion with the shift to industrial society; and finally, their re‐integration into paid work during the further course of modernization. Results from the author's own international comparative study of the historical development of the family and the economic integration of women have shown that this was decidedly not the case even for western Europe. Hence the question arises: why is there such historical variation in the development and importance of the housewife model of the male breadwinner family? In the article, an explanation is presented. It is argued that the historical development of the urban bourgeoisie was especially significant for the historical destiny of this cultural model: the social and political strength of the urban bourgeoisie had central societal importance in the imposition of the housewife model of the male breadwinner family as the dominant family form in a given society. In this, it is necessary to distinguish between the imposition of the breadwinner marriage at the cultural level on the one hand, and at the level of social practice in the family on the other.
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The more liberal welfare state regime of the UK does not support this kind of housewife model to the same extent as Germany.
“The more liberal welfare state regime of the UK does not support this kind of housewife model to the same extent as Germany (Pfau-Effinger, 2004).”
From Tightening early childcare choices – gender and social class inequalities among Polish mothers in Germany and the UK (2018) · cites this paper as Pfau-Effinger, 2004
Although gender norms are changing, latest when couples have children, many couples practice a traditional male earner and female caregiver model, particularly in the Polish migrant and more religious households.
“many couples practice a traditional male earner and female caregiver model (Pfau-Effinger, 2004), particularly in the Polish migrant and more religious households (Mazurkiewicz, 2018).”
From Tightening early childcare choices – gender and social class inequalities among Polish mothers in Germany and the UK (2018) · cites this paper as Pfau-Effinger, 2004
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“The more liberal welfare state regime of the UK does not support this kind of housewife model to the same extent as Germany (Pfau-Effinger, 2004).”
Background
- Authors
- Pfau‐Effinger, B.
- Affiliations
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Pfau‐Effinger, Birgit
- Venue
- The British Journal of Sociology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-09
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 377-399
- ISSN
- 0007-1315 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-4446
- OpenAlex
- W2122717937
- Cited by
- 239
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 12.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- British Journal of Sociology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Employment, Labor, and Gender Studies
- Keywords
- male breadwinner model, family history, women's economic integration, urban bourgeoisie, cross-national variation, industrialization, gender roles, family forms
- MeSH terms
- Cross-Cultural Comparison, Employment, Female, Gender Identity, Humans, Male, Social Change, Sociology
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