Finances And Decision Making

• •Most research shows that women tend to lose out when it comes to finances and decisions too – men more often make the big decisions and have final say in financial matters.
• some argue it is due to patriarchal gender roles, others argue it’s due to women’s lesser earning power than men. Others point out that the meaning of money is very different in different families
• Feminists Pahl & Vogler (1993) identified 2 different types of money management


  Pooling and Allowance System
• Allowance System

  Men give their wives an ‘allowance’, which must be spent on the family’s needs.

  The man will keep any remaining money
• Pooling

  Both partners contribute and have access to income
• •Hardill (1997) studied 30 professional couples. Most important decisions were usually taken by the man.  A man’s career had major influence on these important decisions (moving house)••
• Edgell (1980) found:–Very important decisions (job/house) = man–Important decisions (schools/holidays) = jointly–Less important decisions (décor/clothes) = woman
• •Pahl and Vogler (2007) found men have control over ‘pooled’ money, and will have control over financial decisions