האם דפוס הפרנסה קובע? הבדלים בהתנהלותן ובחוויותיהן של נשים ממגזרים חברתיים שונים במערכת המשפחה-עבודה

This study aims to explore variations in women’s experiences within families characterized by different earning patterns: either where the man earns more, or both spouses earn equally, or the woman earns more. The research encompasses three key sectors in Israeli society: the general Jewish population, ultra-Orthodox communities, and the Arab sector. The analysis focused on three dimensions of the family–work system: behavioral (time allocation to family and paid work), cognitive (assessment of role conflict between family and work), and affective (marital satisfaction). The findings reveal that women who earned more than their spouses tended to dedicate more hours to paid work and less to family responsibilities across all sectors. However, based on the findings, husbands consistently allocated equal hours to family responsibilities, irrespective of their social background or earning patterns. Additionally, Arab women with equal or lower earnings compared to their spouses experienced heightened role conflict between work and family compared to other earning patterns. In contrast, ultra-Orthodox women reported the highest levels of marital satisfaction, regardless of their earning patterns. In conclusion, this study highlighted that earning patterns impact women’s experiences in balancing family and work responsibilities. However, women in all sectors predominantly carried the primary burden of family care. To support women, especially in traditional sectors, organizations are encouraged to implement family-friendly policies.