Male Adolescents' Contributions to Household Labor as Predictors of Later-Life Participation in Housework

Abstract

This article examines childhood influences on adult males' behavior in the domestic sphere. Informed by social learning theory and the concept of latent socialization, we test whether adolescent participation in housework-related activities resulted in a continued contribution to household labor in later-life adult partnerships. This study uses time-use data collected from a cohort of British births at age 16, as well as data collected from the cohort members 13 years later (age 29). Our findings suggest a positive relationship between spending time on household chores in youth and the likelihood of men becoming primarily responsible for a number of routine household tasks. Our analyses fail to demonstrate that adolescents' task performance facilitated equitable task sharing between adult partners. However, we find support for our hypothesis that adult men's attitudes and participation in housework is latently shaped across the life course.