Economic Dependency within Marriage and Subjective Financial Assessment

Abstract

Little research has been done comparing how economic dependency among married couples relates to perceived financial wellbeing and subjective class standing. Is individual income relative to total household income the most important factor in determining financial satisfaction? Are financial satisfaction and subjective class standing tied to lingering traditional gender ideologies? Are financial satisfaction and subjective class standing tied to how closely husbands' and wives' gender ideologies align with their behavior within a marriage? This thesis will assess these research questions through quantitative analysis of General Social Survey data. The findings of this thesis offer insight not only into the changing models of household finances based on economic dependency, but also offer insight into the ongoing gender revolution by comparing the effects of financial dependency on men and women. The findings should also be informative to scholars and practitioners interested in the role marital financial egalitarianism plays in financial satisfaction.