In examining the values that husbands and wives hold for children in dual-worker families, this article explores the influence of both spouses' positions in the social structure. Persons with higher levels of occupational status, education, and occupational self-direction are more likely to value self-direction for children. However, although women are lower in occupational status, education, income, and occupational self-direction, they are more likely to value self-direction for children. These findings support looking beyond the “standard” social structural explanations when examining the influence of work on women and families. In addition, individuals' parental values are best predicted by their own occupational self-direction and education backgrounds rather than that of their spouses.
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