Money and relationships online: communication and norm formation in women’s discussions of couple resource allocation

Moor, Liz and Kanji, Shireen. 2019. Money and relationships online: communication and norm formation in women’s discussions of couple resource allocation. The British Journal of Sociology, 70(3), pp. 948-968. ISSN 0007-1315 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

Research on intra-household resource allocation practices has largely ignored the role of communication within but especially beyond the household. This article shows that discussions engaged in outside of the household shed light on intrahousehold deliberation and also contribute to an understanding of how norms are formed and used in discussions and negotiations. Using data from the website Mumsnet, and grounding our analysis in a framework that combines the literature on gender norms in allocation practices with insights from the study of online communication, we contribute to the sociological literature on household distribution in three ways: first, we show that women use discussion sites like Mumsnet to clarify and sometimes contest social norms regarding money and relationships; second, we show that users conceive the ability to communicate with partners as a source of ‘relationship power’ and use online discussion with other women to develop that skill; third, we argue that sites like Mumsnet provide fresh insights into household resource allocation processes. The article concludes with a broader discussion of the role of communication in household distribution and the value of online data for understanding such processes.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12492

Keywords:

money, communication, intra‐household resource allocation, social norms, couple relationships

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Media, Communications and Cultural Studies

Dates:

DateEvent
1 June 2018Accepted
7 October 2018Published Online
12 June 2019Published

Item ID:

23308

Date Deposited:

10 May 2018 08:26

Last Modified:

24 Mar 2021 10:41

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/23308

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