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Financial Imbalance, Gender Roles, and Conflict Among Male-Male Couples

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2017

Casey D. Hall ,
Tamar Goldenberg ,
Karen Andes ,
Catherine Finneran  and
Rob Stephenson
Casey D. Hall*
Affiliation:
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Tamar Goldenberg
Affiliation:
Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Karen Andes
Affiliation:
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Catherine Finneran
Affiliation:
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Rob Stephenson
Affiliation:
Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Casey D. Hall, MPH, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Email: cdhall2@emory.edu
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Abstract

While the influence of socioeconomic status and financial balance on conflict in female-male relationships has been widely examined, less is known about these phenomena in male-male relationships. This study consists of qualitative individual in-depth interviews with 20 self-identified gay/bisexual men to examine perceptions of financial roles within relationships, and the influence on relationship control and conflict. For some participants, financial roles were static, while others experienced dynamic roles across and within relationships. Some participants characterised financial imbalance using gendered constructs, ascribing masculine and feminine terms to financial roles. Overall, financial inequalities resulted in perception of power imbalance and conflict.

Keywords

same-sexgay/bisexualfinancesgender rolesconflict
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 8 , 2017 , e2
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

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