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For nearly two decades the wage gap between men and women has remained virtually unchanged. Women continue to earn, on average, 80 cents for every dollar that men earn. Yet despite persistent discrimination in wages, studies are also beginning to show that a growing number of women are out-earning their husbands. Nationwide, nearly one-third of working women are the chief breadwinners in their families. The trend is particularly pronounced among the demographic of highly educated women. Does this increase in earnings, however, equate to a shift in power dynamics between husbands and wives?

In Earning More and Getting Less, sociologist Veronica Jaris Tichenor shows how, historically, men have derived a great deal of power over financial and household decisions by bringing home all (or most) of the family's income. Yet, financial superiority has not been a similar source of power for women. Tichenor demonstrates how wives, instead of using their substantial incomes to negotiate more egalitarian relationships, enable their husbands to perpetuate male dominance within the family.

Weaving personal accounts, in-depth interviews, and compelling narrative, this important study reveals disturbing evidence that the conventional power relations defined by gender are powerful enough to undermine hierarchies defined by money. Earning More and Getting Less is essential reading in sociology, psychology, and family and gender studies.

Table of Contents

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  1. Title Page, Copyright
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-viii
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  1. Preface
  2. pp. ix-xii
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xiii-xvi
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  1. Chapter 1: Higher-Earning Wives: Swimming against the Tide
  2. pp. 1-11
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  1. Chapter 2: Thinking about Gender and Power in Marriage
  2. pp. 12-32
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  1. Chapter 3: Gendered Bargain: Why Wives Cannot Trade Their Money for Housework
  2. pp. 33-67
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  1. Chapter 4: Dollar Rich and Power Poor: Why Wives Do Not Control the Money
  2. pp. 68-89
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  1. Chapter 5: Calling the Shots: Why Wives Have Limited Decision-Making Power
  2. pp. 90-117
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  1. Chapter 6: Negotiating Identity and Power
  2. pp. 118-148
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  1. Chapter 7: Are They Happy? Managing Tensions and Disappointments
  2. pp. 149-177
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  1. Chapter 8: Floating Along for the Ride: Higher-Earning Wives and the Prospects for Gender Change
  2. pp. 178-192
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  1. Appendix A. Questionnaire
  2. pp. 193-196
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  1. Appendix B. Interview Guide
  2. pp. 197-202
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  1. Appendix C. Strategies for Data Analysis
  2. pp. 203-204
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  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 205-212
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 213-218
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  1. About the Author
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