Divisions of Domestic Work

Abstract

Using a sample of 101 heterosexual, coresidential couples, the author evaluates four housework theories: gender ideology, relative resources, time availability, and doing gender. Unlike some tests of these theories, the author operationalizes gender ideology as an identity, and the author tests the models on the traditionally feminine chores as well as the traditionally masculine and gender-neutral chores. Using the new operationalization, the author finds that gender ideology is related to the allocation of feminine tasks but generally unrelated to the division of nonfemininechores. Wives’ and husbands’time availability also helps explain the division of feminine and, to a lesser extent, gender-neutral chores. Some socioeconomic resources are related to the allocation of each housework category although absolute and relative resources often have contrasting effects when controlling for both. Regardless of gender ideology, time availability, or resources, however, wives do a significantly greater share of their family’s total and feminine housework, and husbands do a significantly greater share of their family’s masculine chores.