Women aren’t the only ones who are harmed by gender related factors in the workplace.
A recent study by the University of Connecticut has come to the conclusion that men are also harmed. According to the research, men who took on more of a financial responsibility for the family, saw a decline in their health and psychological well-being.
While most research about the gender roles is focused on the disadvantages for women, the study results show how gendered expectations can be harmful for men too.
Simply put, if a man is expected to be the sole breadwinner, providing for the family with little or no help will have a negative impact.
Men who made significantly more than their partners were found to be the ones with the lowest level of psychological well-being and health. During the years when both partners contributed equal financial parts to the household, men had much higher psychological and health scores.
For women, the effect of being the sole breadwinner had a positive effect on their psychological well-being. The positive effect for women increased in proportion to the percentage of income they were able to contribute.
For men, the study found that the act of breadwinning was seen as more of an obligation. The women surveyed were found to approach breadwinning as more of a sense of accomplishment or opportunity. Breadwinning is looked upon by women, according to the study, as a matter of pride, regardless of what others say or think.
Recent trends have seen both women and men serving as primary breadwinners. This has benefits that are positive for both men and women.