The Prevalence and Challenges of Dual Career Relationships
Couples in dual career relationships, categorized as those relationships in which each person is committed to a career, are fairly prevalent today. In previous eras, women who simultaneously pursued family commitments and career goals outside the home were commonly perceived as outside social norms, but such a configuration is common in modern times. Despite the prevalence of such dual career relationships, they are not without their unique challenges. Dual career couples primary face challenges related to career compromise and its impact, time commitments, and managing household responsibilities with regards to children.
Career Compromise is Often Necessary
In dual career relationships; each individual in the relationship typically holds specific career goals. Nevertheless, maintaining the relationship may require one or both individuals to compromise on these specific goals or accept tradeoffs with regards to achieving their optimal job. Often times it can be difficult to find an ideal job for both spouses in the same geographic location. Dual career relationships can be specifically complicated when geographic relocation is a specific job expectation. For example, military personnel often have to move to a new duty location every two to three years. In these cases, if married to a civilian spouse, he or she will often need to start over in a new position at the new duty location, thus compromising his or her career goals. Ultimately resolving such challenges comes down to maintaining strong communication within the relationship with regards to career preferences and willingness to accommodate and compromise.
Managing Time Stressors
Due to compromise in dual career relationships, such couples often have less free time. For example, dual career couples may choose to live in a location that is halfway in between the work locations of either spouse. While this may allow both spouses to pursue their ideal career goals, it necessarily involves longer commuting time than a comparable scenario in which both spouses live and work in the same location. With more time allocated for commuting, dual career couples have less time for personal activities like exercise, spiritual reflection, or simply spending time with one another in a relaxed setting. This can lead to problems in the relationship.
Responsibilities to Children
Successfully raising children is difficult and stressful enough when one spouse stays at home to fulfill this role. In this situation, above and beyond childcare responsibilities, the non-working spouse will generally complete necessary household tasks such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. Dual career couples may struggle with effectively sharing the burden of these necessary chores to keep the household running.
Success in Dual Career Relationships
The challenges of dual career relationships are great, but not insurmountable. As with any joint venture, communication and flexibility are keys to achieving joint goals. Strive to resolve any conflicts immediately and you can confidently foster a strong and lasting relationship for many years to come.