Financial Imbalance, Gender Roles, and Conflict among Male-Male Couples

While the influence of socioeconomic status and financial balance on conflict in female-male relationships has been widely examined, less is known about these phenomena in male-male relationships. This study consists of qualitative individual in-depth interviews with 20 self-identified gay/bisexual men to examine perceptions of financial roles within relationships, and the influence on relationship control and conflict. For some participants, financial roles were static, while others experienced dynamic roles across and within relationships. Some participants characterised financial imbalance using gendered constructs, ascribing masculine and feminine terms to financial roles. Overall, financial inequalities resulted in perception of power imbalance and conflict.