Household financial organization and gender inequalities

Resumen

This PhD dissertation addresses how couples manage their money in intimate relationships. It is composed of 4 articles. The first one focuses on the individual and couple level dynamics behind money management systems in Western Europe. I find that the couples who appear relatively more traditional on individual characteristics, are also more likely to use more traditional money management strategy. In the second one, I explore how variation in macro level characteristics shapes money management decisions, using data from 34 countries. The results show the importance of contextual gender egalitarian beliefs and institutional practices to the household financial organization. The third article has the aim of uncovering insights about the female management in Japan and in Spain. I find that although money management is not a source of power for women in either of these contexts, the drivers of female management are quite different. Finally, the last article explores the Japanese context, using a life course perspective. The results suggest that parenthood and wives’ employment are important life events that change couples’ money management patterns in Japan.