The Rise and the Fall of the Breadwinner System

The roles of husband and wife in the United States have undergone significant change as the marriage system changed over time. Our image of the "traditional" American roles of husband and wife -- with the husband being the breadwinner and the wife staying home and taking care of house and children -- actually were not present for most of our history.

The Household Production System --

During all of colonial times and up the mid-19th century most American marriages followed the Household Production System. The household was our basic economic unit, especially the family farm, and both husband and wife were full-time workers, along with their children. Both husband and wife also played significant roles in the socialization of their children, with whom they spent their days. However, as the population of the United States became increasingly urbanized and industrialized during the 19th century the place of work became separated from the place of residence for many Americans. One had the leave home to go off to work. For these Americans a new sexual division of labor developed.

The Rise of The Breadwinner System --

By the end of the 19th century a majority of American families were no longer living on family farms, and the Household Production System gave way to the Breadwinner System. The husband became the breadwinner, and defined himself as a good husband and father primarily on the basis of his ability to provide for his wife and children. The wife found herself no longer in the labor force, but spending her day at home taking care of the house and children. However, almost from its inception, forces were at work that threatened the stability of this arrangement between husband and wife.

The Breadwinner System works so long as both husband and wife can trust each other to keep up their side of the bargain. If the marriage ends the wife, with little or no experience in the work force, finds herself in a difficult situation. Look at the graph above and reflect on its significance for the Breadwinner System. Here are some additional points to keep in mind:

An annual divorce rate of 1.2 divorces per 1,000 married women (the 1860 rate) means that about 5% of marriages will end in divorce.
A rate of 8 per 1,000 (the 1920 rate) means that 20% of marriages will end in divorce
A rate of 20.4 per 1,000 (the 1994 rate) means that about 50% of marriage will end in divorce.

At some point, relatively early in this century, more women began to take paying jobs in the workforce. This movement marks the beginning of the fall of the Breadwinner System. With an increasing number of families containing working husbands and wives, the sexual division of labor that is the hallmark of the Breadwinner System began to disappear. By the 1980s a majority of mothers of young children had jobs.

The Rise of The Egalitarian System --

Now the common marriage system in the United States is the Egalitarian System, one in which all the roles in marriage (provider role, socializer role, housekeeper role) are shared by husband and wife. With both husband and wife pursuing jobs outside the home, increasingly pursuing two full-time careers, there are some difficulties with this new marriage system -- especially when it comes to the raising of children.

Notice how as the century progresses, not only are more women working but their work life is more and more assuming the male pattern. In 1940 young women worked, but then permanently left the labor force either when they got married or had children. Women during the 1950s - 1970s worked when they were young, left work to have children, but then re-entered the work force when their children were older. Their work life pattern assumed an "M" shape. By the 1980s there is no longer evidence of an "M" shape -- women enter the labor force when young and then then did not exit when they had children. Women from the 1980s onward have the same upside down "U" shape pattern to their work life as males do. They enter the labor force when finished with school and then work until they reach retirement age.