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Abstract
Dual-earner families have been treated as if they are a homogenous group of individuals having to cope with similar demands. However, these families vary in their rationale for both spouses working outside the home, ranging from financial necessity to personal growth, and the responsibilities each spouse assumes in the home. In recognition of the variations in work and home responsibilities, it is proposed that members of dual-earner families should be studied on the basis of: 1. the rationale each spouse has for working, 2. the responsibility each spouse assumes in the home, and 3. the gender of the spouse. A model delineating the different problems experienced by families within these subgroups is developed. It is hypothesized that dual-income families are similar to dual-career households since there is interaction between work and family roles. It is anticipated that the interaction produces different behaviors in the individual participants in each type of dual-earner family.