Behind the negotiations: Financial decision-making processes in Spanish dual-income couples

• Published in: Feminist economics Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 27 - 56
• Main Author: Dema-Moreno, Sandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01-01-2009; Taylor and Francis Journals; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Series: Feminist Economics
• Subjects: B54; Couples; Decision Making; Dual income; dual-earner couples; Equality; Family; Family income; Gender differentiation; Gender equity; gender inequality; Household economics; Household income; Households; Industrial Societies; intra-household allocation; JEL Codes: A14; JEL Codes: A14, B54, D1; Money; Negotiation; Norms; Personal finance; Sexual Inequality; Spain; Spain
• ISSN: 1354-5701; 1466-4372
• DOI: 10.1080/13545700802620575

This article focuses on how dual-income heterosexual couples make financial decisions. Dual-income households have increased considerably in the last three decades in most developed countries. The study was based in Spain and involved qualitative interviews with couples, with each couple interviewed together and separately. This innovative technique allows researchers to study financial decision-making processes and to detect gender inequalities that may appear during negotiations. Analysis of decision making among the couples in the sample provides evidence that, despite claims of equality, not all decisions are negotiated or made by consensus. On the contrary, decisions are often the consequence of established social norms, and, frequently, there are issues that couples exclude from negotiation.