Are men on a lower salary than their partners more likely to cheat than if they were the main breadwinner?
Almost 2.7 million British women earn more then their partners and are continuing to climb to the top of the career ladder. But according to a new study, we should be worried about the damaging effect this could be having on our relationships.
The study, led by sociologist Christin Munsch at Cornell University, New York, suggests men who earn substantially less than their partner are more likely to have an affair.
He says: ‘Making less money than a female partner may threaten men’s gender identity by calling into question the traditional notion of men as breadwinners.’
Surprisingly, the study found that men who were completely dependent on their female partners for income were five times more likely to cheat than those who contributed equally.
Conversely, women who are dependent on their husband’s salary are 75% less likely to have an affair than those who provide the majority income.
The findings support a 25-year American study of more than 25,000 marriages between 1979 and 2002, which found that women who consistently earned more money than their husbands were up to 38% more likely to divorce than others.
Professor Teachman, of Western Washington University, explains that for a happy marriage there should be a 60:40 split in income with the man earning more.
But do you agree? Do you think women should be more concerned about maintaining their relationships than building their careers? Or do you think highflying women should be able to count on the support of a monogamous male?
Join in the debate and let us know your thoughts by posting a message below…
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