Working Class

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myths a bit differently. Each has its own "economy of gratitude." Hochschild is very much interested in the interrelationships between power--perceived and actual--and bonds of human caring. Her phrase "economy of gratitude" makes reference to what is given and received as gifts between spouses and how those gifts are valued. For example, if a woman earns more money than her husband, his male pride may suffer. His willingness to bear the affront may be viewed by both as a sacrificial gift, and out of guilt and gratitude she may assume most of the household responsibilities. Hochschild found many such contorted notions of what merits gratitude among the couples she studied. I agree with this notion, but many men cannot seem to catch on to this.
Hochschild also uncovers family myths and gender strategies that couples develop in order to justify--or to enable them to live with--inequities in workloads. Some strategies permit couples to pay lip service to an ideal that is quite ...

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