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General opinion may suggest that traditional gender roles have all but been eradicated and that old-fashioned titles such as ‘housewife’ and ‘breadwinner’ no longer have any bearing on modern-day marriages. A study conducted by Ohio State University suggests otherwise, however. The research – which involved analysing data on over 3,600 couples provided through three separate National Surveys of Families and Households conducted from 1987 to 2002 – had been undertaken in order to ascertain how and individual’s employment status could influence their decision to divorce their partners. Results revealed that a woman’s employment status had no direct effect on whether a husband decided to end their marriage. Females were more likely to initiate divorce proceedings if they were in full time employment but only if they were extremely unhappy in their marriage. A man’s employment status, however, had a significant influence over whether or not a couple separated. Not only is it more likely that a wife will choose to leave her husband if he is unemployed, but men who find themselves without work are also far more likely to choose to leave their wives even if they are relatively happy in their marriages. The findings of the study imply, according to researchers, that there has been an asymmetric change in traditional gender roles in marriage. Liana Sayer, who led the study, also stated that the findings suggested that men do not view a marriage in which they are unemployed and their spouse works as the norm. In comparison, a female’s employment status has no bearing over whether or not a couple file for divorce, suggesting that a wife entering or maintaining her presence within the workforce does not represent a violation of matrimonial norms. “These effects probably emanate from the greater change in women’s than men’s roles,” said Sayer. “Women’s employment has increased and is accepted, men’s non-employment is unacceptable to many, and there is a cultural ambivalence and lack of institutional support for men taking on ‘feminized’ roles such as household work and emotional support.” Sayer’s research is due to be published in the American Journal of Sociology in the near future.