Generally speaking, a breadwinner is someone who earns the primary income for a household."}},"@type": "Question","name": "Can a woman be a breadwinner?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Yes, a woman can be a breadwinner. The term is not specific to gender; it identifies someone who is the primary income earner in a household.","@type": "Question","name": "What is an example of breadwinner?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Both women in a married couple work. One spouse works part-time at minimum wage, while the other spouse works full-time and earns a generous salary. In general, the spouse earning more would be considered the breadwinner."]}]}] .cls-1fill:#999.cls-6fill:#6d6e71 Skip to contentThe BalanceSearchSearchPlease fill out this field.NewsletterSearchSearchPlease fill out this field.BudgetingBudgeting Budgeting Calculator Financial Planning Managing Your Debt Best Budgeting Apps View All InvestingInvesting Find an Advisor Stocks Retirement Planning Cryptocurrency Best Online Stock Brokers Best Investment Apps View All MortgagesMortgages Homeowner Guide First-Time Homebuyers Home Financing Managing Your Loan Mortgage Refinancing Using Your Home Equity Today's Mortgage Rates View All EconomicsEconomics US Economy Economic Terms Unemployment Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy View All BankingBanking Banking Basics Compound Interest Calculator Best Savings Account Interest Rates Best CD Rates Best Banks for Checking Accounts Best Personal Loans Best Auto Loan Rates View All Small BusinessSmall Business Entrepreneurship Business Banking Business Financing Business Taxes Business Tools Becoming an Owner Operations & Success View All Career PlanningCareer Planning Finding a Job Getting a Raise Work Benefits Top Jobs Cover Letters Resumes View All MoreMore Credit Cards Insurance Taxes Credit Reports & Scores Loans Personal Stories About UsAbout Us The Balance Financial Review Board Diversity & Inclusion Pledge View All NewsletterFollow Us
Budgeting Budgeting Calculator Financial Planning Managing Your Debt Best Budgeting Apps Investing Find an Advisor Stocks Retirement Planning Cryptocurrency Best Online Stock Brokers Best Investment Apps Mortgages Homeowner Guide First-Time Homebuyers Home Financing Managing Your Loan Mortgage Refinancing Using Your Home Equity Today's Mortgage Rates Economics US Economy Economic Terms Unemployment Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy Banking Banking Basics Compound Interest Calculator Best Savings Account Interest Rates Best CD Rates Best Banks for Checking Accounts Best Personal Loans Best Auto Loan Rates Small Business Entrepreneurship Business Banking Business Financing Business Taxes Business Tools Becoming an Owner Operations & Success Career Planning Finding a Job Getting a Raise Work Benefits Top Jobs Cover Letters Resumes More Credit Cards Insurance Taxes Credit Reports & Scores Loans Financial Terms Dictionary About Us The Balance Financial Review Board Diversity & Inclusion Pledge TaxesTax PlanningWhat Is a Breadwinner?ByJake SafaneUpdated on November 14, 2022Reviewed byLea D. UraduFact checked byJ.R. DurenIn This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleHow Being a Breadwinner WorksExample of a BreadwinnerWhat a Breadwinner Means for IndividualsFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: Maskot / Getty Images
Both women in a married couple work. One spouse works part-time at minimum wage, while the other spouse works full-time and earns a generous salary. In general, the spouse earning more would be considered the breadwinner.
breadwinner
The extended sense of "food, sustenance in general" (late 12c.) is perhaps via the Lord's Prayer. The slang meaning "money" dates from 1940s, but compare breadwinner, and bread as "one's livelihood" dates to 1719. Bread and circuses (1914) is from Latin, in reference to food and entertainment provided by the government to keep the populace content. "Duas tantum res anxius optat, Panem et circenses" [Juvenal, Sat. x.80].
Men have traditionally satisfied these expectations by taking on the role of a work-devoted breadwinner, supported by a wife who does not work or who places his career first. But many heterosexual men today are married to women who pursue demanding careers of their own; moreover, many women expect that their husbands will support their careers and be more engaged in family life than previous generations of men have been.
The 482 participants (45% women) for the second study were offered slightly expanded options. In terms of recruiting incentives, flextime was not described as career-dampening, and career-enhancing leadership training was added in. Participants were randomly assigned to read about a male or female candidate that was described as follows: either a parent and caregiver, a parent and breadwinner, a parent with no specified family role, or not a parent. All candidates were described as parents, and all candidates described as parents were described as having two children.
Historically, men have typically held the breadwinner role in their families. However, women are now the primary earners in 40% of U.S. households. Among those women, 63% are single mothers and 37% bring in more money than their partner.
As a married mom who has not worked full-time since my kids were born, I found myself wondering if maybe one reason for the persistence of the husband-breadwinner norm is that some married mothers, like me, prefer the option of being able to work less or not at all, especially while our kids are young. Naturally, in order for us to work less, our husbands must work more.
This is so important, despite the fact that over 40% of households now have a female breadwinner. On top of that, for married couples, over 70% of those households have a co-breadwinning model where both partners work. But our society still expects a woman to be at home. When we look at the school day, when we look at maternity leave policies, or when we see headlines that portray breadwinning women as an anomaly we see the evidence of a problem. These are old narratives, and the reality has changed. 2ff7e9595c
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