Abstract
Existing research indicates that the number of dual-career couples is increasing and that, by implication, domestic responsibility should be equally shared between husbands and wives. However, in many societies, women’s paid employment has not resulted in men assuming responsibility for domestic duties and childcare. This article examines the extent to which husbands and wives engage in cultural identity work related to household chores and childcare. A qualitative interpretivist approach was followed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 Indian couples occupying different positions across various management levels in diverse South African organisations. The results of the study indicate that these husbands and wives, who come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, engage differently in cultural identity work. Additionally, today’s younger wives are more assertive and expect their husbands to be involved to a greater extent in the home and with childcare, resulting in husbands engaging in more identity work. The Indian society in South Africa is undergoing tremendous changes regarding adherence to culture, resulting in varying levels of cultural identity work taking place within dual-earner relationships.
Highlights
An increase in the number of women entering the workforce, worldwide (Bianchi & Milkie, 2010) and in South Africa (Department of Labour, 2016), has resulted in the transformation of traditional gender roles in many homes, especially when wives occupy full-time jobs and men assume greater roles in the home (Ahmed & Carrim, 2016)
In order to fill the gap in the existing literature as identified above, the aim of the current study is to focus on the extent to which Indian husbands and wives in dual-earning relationships in a South African context undertake cultural identity work regarding housework and childcare
This study explored the cultural identity work related to housework and childcare of Indian husbands and wives in dual-career relationships
Summary
An increase in the number of women entering the workforce, worldwide (Bianchi & Milkie, 2010) and in South Africa (Department of Labour, 2016), has resulted in the transformation of traditional gender roles in many homes, especially when wives occupy full-time jobs and men assume greater roles in the home (Ahmed & Carrim, 2016). A dual-career relationship is referred to as a ‘work-family system’ that embraces the work and family roles of both husband and wife. These days, both men and women in most Western societies and cultures take on roles inside and outside the home (Bianchi & Milkie, 2010). Husbands start assuming some responsibility in the home and for childcare (Ahmed & Carrim, 2016) This entry into the woman’s domain becomes a challenge to the cultural identities of Indian husbands and wives and they ask themselves the question: who am I as an Indian male or female? This entry into the woman’s domain becomes a challenge to the cultural identities of Indian husbands and wives and they ask themselves the question: who am I as an Indian male or female? As a result, they start engaging in identity work, a concept that is defined by Sveningsson and Alvesson (2003, p. 1165) as the way ”individuals form, repair, maintain, strengthen or revise constructions that are productive of a sense of coherence and distinctiveness”
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