Constellations of gender ideology, earnings arrangements, and marital satisfaction: a comparison across four East Asian societies

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recent research conducted in Western countries highlights gender ideology as a multidimensional concept. Little, however, is known in East Asia about the patterns and consequences of constellations of gender ideology (i.e. clusters of attitudes towards gender relations in different domains). Using data from 3,541 married respondents in the 2006 East Asian Social Survey (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan), we identify four constellations—egalitarian, moderate, traditional, and pro-work traditional—that differ in gender ideologies regarding the private and public spheres. We find little societal difference in the relationship between constellations of gender ideology and marital satisfaction among men. Among women, traditional Japanese women have particularly high, whereas egalitarian Taiwanese women have particularly low, marital satisfaction. Additionally, gender ideology intersects with couples’ earnings arrangements to shape marital satisfaction in Korea. Overall, our findings advance the understanding of how political and policy environments shape gender roles in work and family.