This paper brings together theoretical work on gender, caregiving, and illness to investigate emotion work performed in response to a spouse’s physical illness. We analyzed qualitative in-depth interview data with 36 individuals in 18 long-term heterosexual marriages (N=36) wherein one or both spouses experienced illness. Findings indicated that men and women performed, received, and interpreted their emotion work in gendered ways. Women with an ill spouse performed emotion work more often than men. Women who were ill themselves often performed emotion work to relieve the burden on their spouse—a dynamic not found among men who were ill. When women performed emotion work, they constructed this work as a natural propensity. Men who did not perform emotion work constructed themselves as protective and problem-solving. These findings point to underlying intra- and inter-personal processes that may help to explain why women experience higher levels of caregiver burden and depression than do men. / text

This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of the contextual factors (socio-economic conditions and level of urbanization) on family processes and outcomes related to women. The family processes of interest were spousal relations relative power, feelings of mastery, and self evaluation of women in familial roles. Another aim was to investigate the effect of participation in the activities of family support and women education programs on women&#039 / s attitudes in relation to family roles. I studies with an accidental sample of 145 women in various districts of Kadik&ouml / y, istanbul. There were three groups of women (1) women living in poor districts of Kadik&ouml / y and in touch with &quot / Family Guiding/ Solidarity Center&quot / of Kadik&ouml / y Munucipality, (2) women living in the same districts but not in touch with (FG/SC), (3) women living in central-whealthy neighborhoods of Kadik&ouml / y. There were three main predictions / (1) education was predicted to determine economic status, which would influence mastery. Mastery in turn, would affect spousal relationsand decision making processes in family. Finally, spousal relations would predict self-evaluation (2) urbanization was predicted to influence modern attitudes toward spousal roles positively and traditional attitudes negatively, (3) women who were in touch with FG/SC were predicted to have more favorable attitudes toward modern spousal roles, but less favorable toward traditional spousal roles. The model of the first prediction revealed that / economic status determined mastery, which influences warmth and equality. Warmth and equality in turn influences individual&#039 / s self evaluation. As expected in the second prediction, urbanization was negatively related to traditional attitudes. Comparison of the three groups revealed that, women living in pheripheral districts showed more favorable attitudes towards traditional gender stereotypic duties of women, and maledominance than women living in central districts. Women living in pheripheral districts and intouch with FG/SC, showed more favorable attitudes toward women&#039 / s participation inlabor market than women living in the same area but not in touch with FG/SC, and women living in the central districts.