Philosophy

Dual career families face the challenges of balancing work life and family needs, as well as different individual interests. Zunker (2005) discussed the issues facing dual career families, namely expectations about work and family, role conflict, child care, relationship factors, and other personal factors (pp.329-334). This essay analyzes the most challenging issue, the differences in expectations about work and family because of gender roles, and it also advocates that the most appropriate career counseling model for this conflict is cognitive information-processing (CIP) approach, because it provides decision-making skills that will resolve differences in expectations about work and family because of gender roles.

The most challenging issue for dual career families is the differences in expectations about work and family because of gender roles. Hall and Hall (1979) suggested that there are four distinct behaviors of dual career families accomodators, adversaries, allies, and acrobats (as cited in Zunker, 2005, p.333). The adversaries are the most conflict-ridden, because husbands and wives give the most priority to their careers, and the least to family and home involvement (Zunker, 2005, p.333). In this context, the wife is already questioning why she should take care of family matters, just because she is the woman. On the other hand, the husband can be asserting that as a woman, his wife should devote more time to family and home involvement. When these gender roles differences arise, the CIP approach will be able to provide decision-making and problem-solving skills that will recognize internal and external barriers to reaching career goals and to distinguish these barriers as hindrances that can be resolved (McLennan Arthur, 1999, p.83). CIP will help partners focus more on honing the executive processing domain and resolve differences as equal decision-making partners McLennan Arthur, 1999, p.82).

The modern family is increasingly becoming composed of dual career families. As more and more women seek increased financial independence, self-esteem, satisfaction, and productivity outside the traditional home setting, men should consider what they can also offer to their families, as their wives pursue other careers. This essay espouses the use of CIP because it enhances decision-making and problem-solving skills that will recognize internal and external barriers to reaching career goals and improve the ability to divide home tasks in the most equitable manner possible between husbands and wives.