BY VIRTUE OF PLEASANTNESS? HOUSEWORK AND THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATION REVISITED

Abstract

Numerous studies have noted the lack of change in the sexual division of housework, despite substantial change in factors believed to affect it. According to popular thought, men are at best making selective inroads, such that change is limited to the more enjoyable work. This paper explores how combined educational attainment levels of spouses affect the division of housework, taking into account the relative ‘pleasantness’ of particular tasks. For this purpose 1992/93 Dutch data are used, including a national survey on the enjoyment of routine housework. Our findings stress the relevance of discriminating between different sorts of tasks. Firstly, men, if they contribute, do so more to the preferred tasks of shopping or cooking than to the less enjoyed cleaning or laundry. Generational differences suggest, however, that change towards equalisation permeates all tasks alike. Secondly, the division of each type of housework varies between couples with different educational compositions. The effects of education are such that an explanation based on egalitarian values fares better than one based on human capital. Finally, comparing the spouses, the results indicate that the influence of wives' education dominates. However, among highly educated wives this does not hold true when it comes to cleaning.