A comparative analysis of attitudes towards female and male breadwinners in Germany, Sweden and the United States

This paper presents a comparative study that examines attitudes towards female and male breadwinners in Western societies. Data from Wave 6 of the World Values Study are used to analyse attitudes in three countries with historically different gender contracts: Germany (male breadwinner), Sweden (dual-breadwinner), and the United States (male breadwinner and female breadwinner). The findings indicate that although women are more likely than their male counterparts to believe men should not be entitled to jobs over women, they also view female breadwinners as problematic. Men are largely supportive of both men and women being a family's financial breadwinner. Cross-national comparisons show that women and men in Germany have the most conservative views and that those in Sweden have more liberal beliefs. Accounting for differences in education and employment status did not explain the gender differences in attitudes. The impact of our findings for promoting greater gender equity is discussed.