2023/2024: PhD completion and title awarded (see below for the abstract).
2022: PhD thesis submission, December.
2019: Winner “People’s Choice” award, 3-Minute Thesis Competition
I won the “People’s Choice” award at Birkbeck, University of London about my current PhD in Gender Studies. Although the info that I gave about Jay-Z and BeyoncĂ© is now outdated and Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have split, the rest of the info is still very alive…
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University website:
www.bbk.ac.uk/departments/geography/research/students
Title:
She Brings Home the Bacon, But Should He Cook It?
Subtitle:
High-Status Female Breadwinners and Their Partner Doing Gender at Home
Abstract:
This study focuses on how high-status female breadwinner households in the Netherlands are doing gender at home and argues that an investigation of both the gendered nature of home life and of work is needed to understand these households. The practical day-to-day management of this relatively new family structure is under-researched, resulting in a lack of knowledge about how these atypical households negotiate their home and working lives, and to what extent they conform to or challenge gender norms. In-depth interviews with 36 men and women were conducted to understand the intertwined gendered effects of work and home lives, addressing three key subquestions. Firstly, the research examines the phenomenon of “doing gender” in the context of domestic work, challenging prevailing economic frameworks and highlighting the disjuncture between theory and lived experiences. Secondly, it investigates the relationship between earnings, financial arrangements, and negotiations at home, revealing complex patterns of power dynamics and gendered expectations. Thirdly, it explores the impact of state-level family policies and cultural practices on gender dynamics, advocating for more inclusive policy frameworks and a feminist approach to policymaking. Addressing the main research question, this thesis underscores that regardless of a woman’s earnings, the societal pressure on her remains pronounced, especially within the context of domestic responsibilities, particularly when children are part of the household. The significance of financial arrangements emerges as a critical factor in understanding power dynamics within female breadwinner households, as evidenced by men’s reluctance to accept women’s financial contributions, reflecting the deeper societal norms at play. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of family policies and cultural practices in influencing gender dynamics, advocating for more inclusive policies and a feminist lens in policymaking to enable individuals to negotiate alternative family arrangements effectively. The conclusion underlines the tension between the woman’s financial contribution and the expectation for the man to take on domestic responsibilities, emphasising the ongoing pressure to conform to societal gender expectations even in unconventional partnerships.