Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on young middle-class men in Pakistan, who fear a difficult future as sole breadwinners in a tough economy. While the male breadwinner model is strong in Pakistan, it may face challenges from young people who dream of marriages in which breadwinning is shared between spouses.

Paper long abstract:

Although the male breadwinner model has been weakened in some parts of the world, in Pakistan, it still dominates the organization of the labour market and the domestic division of labour. However, this paper argues that there are signs of a generational shift in the Pakistani middle class weakening the male breadwinner model, as young men invest their marriages with hopes of escaping the heavy burden of being the sole breadwinner in a difficult economy and labour market.

Becoming a stable breadwinner is a core element of hegemonic masculinity in Pakistan, and becoming financially independent is therefore essential to adult manhood. However, young middle-class Pakistanis look to their future with a great deal of ambivalence. Having observed their fathers, they know the difficulties of making ends meet on one salary, with increasing demands for consumption, rising prices, and widespread job insecurity. Meanwhile, concerns with respectability constitute a significant obstacle to women’s contribution to the household economy.

In response to such bleak prospects, many young men dream of marriages in which the work of breadwinning is shared between the spouses, and where respectability is not a limiting concern. This aspiration is complemented by a strong desire among young women to marry men who will allow them to stay employed even into marriage. The paper therefore argues that while the male breadwinner model remains strong among older generations of middle-class Pakistanis, it is facing ideological challenges from younger generations who seek marriages that can support a more equitable distribution of labour.