The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Careers

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50 couples were interviewed from all over the world. In some countries, it was perhaps much more common for the man to have what we think of as the primary career and the woman to have the secondary career. The interesting difference actually is a generational difference. For the younger generation, so maybe below about forty five, there didn't seem to be a penalty,. if you like, for the genders of saying they were primary or secondary careers.

Simmering resentments over whose career comes first. Bickering over household tasks. Arguments over who should pick up the kids this time. This is the portrait of two-career coupledom in much of the popular media. But for a lot of couples, the reality is much rosier. Mutually supportive relationships let us take career risks, help us be more resilient to setbacks, and even “lean in” at work. In this episode, we talk with three experts to help us paint a picture of what a truly supportive dual-career relationship looks like, and understand how to get our own relationships closer to that ideal. Guests: Jennifer Petriglieri, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, and Stephanie Coontz. Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network. For links to the articles mentioned in this episode, as well as other information about the show, visit hbr.org/podcasts/women-at-work.