When she brings home the bacon: Labor-force participation and the risk of spousal violence against women

Because employment plays a central role in shaping gender identities and ge nder relations, it has important implications for understanding women's ris ks of spousal violence. This article analyzes the relationship between part icipation in the labor force and the risk of spousal violence against women by treating employment as a symbolic, rather than simply socioeconomic res ource. We begin with a Intent class analysis that identifies qualitatively distinct patterns of violence against wives. We then examine direct and con ditional effects of employment on women's risks of spousal violence. Our re sults show that the effect of a woman's employment on her risk of spousal v iolence is conditioned by the employment status of her partner. To some ext ent, these effects reflect efforts by men to coercively control their femal e partners.