Women, Men, Work and Family: Action in the Interactions

Abstract

Expansionist theory holds, as a core assumption, that “in general, multiple roles are beneficial, in contrast to theories that treat them as sources of stress” (Hyde, in chapter “Women, Men, Work, and Family: Expansionist Theory Updated”). In addressing this thesis and the supporting research proposed by Hyde (in chapter “Women, Men, Work, and Family: Expansionist Theory Updated”), the chapter addresses three key questions in relation to expansionist theory: (1) For whom are multiple roles better? (2) When are multiple roles better? and (3) Under what conditions are multiple roles better? It is proposed that too often in main effect models that link multiple roles to physical and mental health, we fail to examine how key contextual variables, such as social class, race and ethnicity, family structure, and gender, moderate the ways in which multiple work and family roles are linked to health outcomes. A key premise underlying this chapter is that quite often the “truer” story about both the beneficial and detrimental effects of multiple roles lies within distinct ecological niches, suggesting that the “action is in the interactions.”