DUAL EARNER COUPLES: WILL WOMEN EVER ACHIEVE EQUALITY AT HOME AND IN THE WORKPLACE?

Abstract

This paper helps to explain the challenges that educated, professional women in dual earner households face after becoming mothers and the discrepancies between the divisions of labor as viewed by women and their male counterparts. It is important to understand the challenges that working mothers face at home and in the workforce in order to retain female talent. With a foundation in empirical and theoretical research, in-depth interviews with ten women and seven men were conducted and analyzed to provide further insight into the lives of professional women. This paper shows the significant information that was learned about the differences between the perceptions of both working mothers and fathers and the implications on their identity and the struggles that they endure. This research is a stepping-stone in addressing the issues of professional mothers in dual earner households.