“A Choice We Had to Fight For”: Perceived Choice and Satisfaction with the Division of Family Roles Among Equal-Sharing, Role-Reversed and Semi-Traditional Parents

This mixed-methods study examined the subjective perception of choice, decision-making process and satisfaction with the division of family roles comparing semi-traditional, equal-sharing and role-reversed couples. Quantitative analysis involved 2,813 British parents (1,380 men, 1,433 women) with at least one child aged 11 or under who were primary caregivers, primary breadwinners, or equal-sharers. Qualitative analysis drew on 60 in-depth interviews with a distinct sample of 10 couples reflecting each of the study groups. Equal-sharers expressed a higher perception of choice, greater satisfaction with their division of roles and a lower preference for change in the future. They described conscious efforts to achieve equality, having to “fight for” their chosen arrangement. Semi-traditional couples expressed a lower perception of personal choice compared to the other arrangements, perceiving it as something that happened to them, rather than a deliberate choice they made. Role-reversed couples framed their arrangement as a choice and expressed high levels of satisfaction, while acknowledging the restricting or facilitating role of their financial situation and workplace circumstances. Overall, the findings indicate that conscious choice, planning, effective communication (at an individual level) and workplace flexibility appear to facilitate the redistribution of men’s and women’s involvement in paid work and childcare, increasing opportunities to share breadwinning and caring responsibilities equally.