Division Of Household Labor Research Articles

The gendered division of household labor and decision-making in Tehran, Iran

The division of labor and decision-making within households is highly influenced by gender norms and resource allocation. However, there has been a marked shift away from traditional gender roles in domestic tasks and decision-making in recent years. This study examines the division of domestic responsibilities, childcare, and decision-making within households, as well as the socioeconomic factors that influence these dimensions in Iran. Data come from the “Survey of Married Lifestyle,” which included 1736 married people aged 18 years and over in Tehran, selected through a multi-stage random sampling process. The results reveal that while women are increasingly involved in decision-making, they still primarily shoulder the burden of household chores and childcare. Factors such as women’s education and income, as well as men’s education and dual-earner status, are key determinants of the division of labor in households. Social policies that focus on enhancing women’s access to education and economic opportunities are crucial for promoting gender equality and empowering women in household decision-making.

Gender Differences in Domestic Responsibilities of Otolaryngologists-A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

Female otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons (OHNS) confront unique barriers. This study examines the influence of home life, especially gendered division of household labor, on leadership, productivity, and burnout. A survey was distributed through social media and national society list-serv. Demographics, responsibility for household roles, and Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel were included. Participants were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews, employing purposive sampling, with qualitative thematic analysis. Response rate was 26.4% (145 of 550 of eligible participants; 38.7% women, 60.7% men). Significantly fewer women were married (64.3% vs. 92% of men, p < 0.001), and significantly more were childless (21.4% of women vs. 9.1% of men, p = 0.037). More men reported exclusive/major responsibility for five duties, including yard work and home maintenance (all p < 0.03). More women reported exclusive/major responsibility for 15 duties, including meal planning and coordinating childcare (all p < 0.03). Women had higher Emotional Exhaustion on univariate analysis (p = 0.015). Across 27 interviews, two main themes were identified, each with three associated subthemes: Theme one, "division of duties," with subthemes (1) the way household duties were divided, (2) traditional gender norms, and 3. changing duties over time/unexpected circumstances. Theme two, "impact of domestic duties," with subthemes (1) professional, (2) financial, and (3) burnout/life satisfaction. Women OHNS disproportionately manage domestic responsibilities, possibly altering career trajectory for some OHNS. Burnout, especially emotional exhaustion, may be elevated due to inequitable labor. Future research should focus on identifying ways to improve equity for this group. N/A Laryngoscope, 134:S1-S12, 2024.

Equality in household labor allocation among married and cohabiting individuals in Italy: the role of unions history

This study focuses on the allocation of household labor in Italy, finely differentiating between various forms of married and unmarried cohabiting unions. Specifically, currently married and cohabiting individuals are differentiated on the basis of the type of their first union. We employ data on individuals’ partnership histories from the 2016 “Families and Social Subjects” survey, which allows us to consider the role of previous (marital or non-marital) unions and, for currently or previously married individuals, whether or not they cohabited before marriage. A composite index measuring gender equality in household labor allocation is constructed based on different domestic tasks, weighting each task according to how time consuming the associated activity is. Results highlight the importance of considering the first union to explain the division of household labor even within later relationships. In particular, for men, cohabitation does not, as one might expect, mean a more egalitarian division of labor, once selection factors are taken into account and independently from the type of previous relationships. However, considering activities by gender, some signals of a greater participation in female-typed tasks are observed for married and cohabitating men who experienced previous (premarital) cohabitations. For women, instead, cohabitation implies a more egalitarian way to share household labor, if it is a first union or in any situation for which it was the first approach to life as a couple. Cohabitation does not imply a more egalitarian division of labor for women if their first union was a marriage. These differences in household labor allocation for women mainly follow from those observed in female-typed tasks, whereas couple differences in male-typed activities are weaker.

Division of household labor in urban China: Couples’ education pairing and co-residence with parents

The norm in which wives usually undertake a greater share of household labor than their husbands in China is deeply rooted in the fact that historically, women were of a much lower educational, social, and economic status than men. One significant change in recent decades is that the rapid improvement in women’s educational attainment has increased the share of marriages in which the wife has more education than the husband. Does the division of household labor vary among couples of diverse education pairings? How does living with parents – a common living arrangement in China – weaken or strengthen this traditional norm? We explore these questions using data from the China Family Panel Studies conducted in the 2010s. Focusing on recently married couples with young children, we show that homogamous couples in which both spouses have high school or college education and hypogamous couples in which the wife has the educational advantage have the most equitable division of household labor. Co-residence with parents does not alleviate the gender gap for most couples, but living with paternal parents tends to reduce the housework for lower educated daughters-in-law while living with maternal parents appears to benefit daughters who have one-level education more than their husbands. This study reveals reduced gender inequality in housework among the homogamous and hypogamous couples, but gender division remains strong overall, despite improvement in women’s educational attainment and potential support from paternal or maternal parents through co-residences.

Division of Household Labor in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese: A Couple-Centered Approach.

The literature provides an incomplete picture of gender dynamics in later-life domestic work. This couple-level study examines the division of female-typed, gender-neutral, and male-typed housework among middle-aged and older Chinese couples, comparing working and non-working couples. It also explores the different relationships between education, income, and the division of housework in these two groups of couples. The findings derived from national time-use data reveal that, first, non-working couples exhibit a smaller gender gap in household labor compared to working couples, primarily because wives take on more gender-neutral tasks, while husbands assume more female-typed tasks. Second, female-typed housework exhibits the largest gender disparity, followed by gender-neutral housework. Third, educational and economic resources play distinct roles in shaping the division of household chores in the two groups. Furthermore, the time spent on paid work is a more significant factor in explaining gender differences in housework among working couples than education and income.

The Precarity of Progress: Implications of a Shifting Gendered Division of Labor for Relationships and Well-Being as a Function of Country-Level Gender Equality

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a shift toward a more traditional division of labor–one where women took greater responsibility for household tasks and childcare than men. We tested whether this regressive shift was more acutely perceived and experienced by women in countries with greater gender equality. Cross-cultural longitudinal survey data for women and men (N = 10,238) was collected weekly during the first few months of the pandemic. Multilevel modelling analyses, based on seven waves of data collection, indicated that a regressive shift was broadly perceived but not uniformly felt. Women and men alike perceived a shift toward a more traditional division of household labor during the first few weeks of the pandemic. However, this perception only undermined women’s satisfaction with their personal relationships and subjective mental health if they lived in countries with higher levels of economic gender equality. Among women in countries with lower levels of economic gender equality, the perceived shift predicted higher relationship satisfaction and mental health. There were no such effects among men. Taken together, our results suggest that subjective perceptions of disempowerment, and the gender role norms that underpin them, should be considered when examining the gendered impact of global crisis.

Intersectionalities and im/mobilities in family and marriage: a comparative study of Germany and India

This article investigates comparative intersections of gender and family sociology internationally, with a specific focus on urban Germany and urban India. In particular, this research examines a central dynamic that informs family and marriage relations globally, and for this research context, in Germany and India: What are the nuanced ways of conceptualizing changing gender roles in marriage and in family in Germany and India? Bringing together a robust understanding of the theoretical frameworks of Intersectionality and of Mobility as large bodies of scholarship that examine geographic and symbolic power geometries, we adopt the lens of Intersectional Im/Mobilities to explore changing gender roles in family and marriage in Germany and India. We particularly focus on an intersectionality-based analysis of two primary themes that arise out of our primary and secondary data: (1) Women’s employment and impact on family life/work–life balance; and (2) Changing gender roles in marriage (through the lens of the division of household labor and aspects of agency and decision making), questions which influence and inflect complex intersectional realities.

Gender-based division of household labor: a study of selected districts of Bangladesh

PurposeAs women perform most household chores and other nonproductive work, gender-based division of labor in the home has now been identified as a barrier to gender equality. The objective of this study is to assess the effects of gender distribution of housework especially for women and investigate the factors influencing the total hours spent on house chores in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative approach based on survey data obtained from 200 households in the Madaripur and Gopalganj districts of Bangladesh. To analyze the obtained data, the partial least squares (PLS) regression was used.FindingsAccording to this study, demographic and socioeconomic factors of women, and gender are influencing the total hours spent in housework. Women were observed to have a positive relationship with empowerment but a negative relationship with social perception. Social perception was further observed to have a significant impact on the total number of hours expended by women on house chores.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that the importance of sharing the burden of household work be taught in schools and community-based awareness programs so that it becomes ingrained as a social and cultural practice. Furthermore, the government should conduct a proper assessment that recognizes unpaid housework by women as an important factor in inclusive sustainable development.Originality/valueIssues of inequality in the division of labor in household activities are barely recognized in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study collected primary data to assess the effects of gender on the distribution of housework. The findings of the study will help policymakers and academicians to better understand the gender-based division of household labor.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2023-0195.

The Gendered Division of Housework in China: Parenthood Effects and Heterogeneity Across Parenthood Stages

Research documents that the gender gap in housework is substantially larger among parents compared to couples without children. Because most evidence is from developed countries, it is unclear if a similar pattern exists in China, where couples have fewer children and the gendered division of household labor is more pronounced. Based on longitudinal survey data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1997–2015) and two-way person-based fixed effects models, the present study examined the effects of parenthood on spouses’ housework time and share, as well as the heterogeneity across different parenthood stages within heterosexual marriages. The findings suggest that the birth of a child widens the gendered division of housework for Chinese families by substantially increasing housework time for mothers and reducing it for fathers. This gendered division of housework is most pronounced when the youngest child is a preschooler and remains unequal in subsequent parenthood stages. Overall, the study is among the first to demonstrate that parenthood is a highly gendered process in China that widens the gender divide of housework for married couples.

Premarital cohabitation and the gendered division of household labor in China

Premarital cohabitation has been understudied in China, and its impact on marriages in the region remains largely unexplored. This study examines the implications of premarital cohabitation for gender inequalities in Chinese marriages. The author analyzes how married couples with and without the experience of premarital cohabitation compare in the amounts of time they spend doing housework, whether the differences can be attributed to social and economic factors, and to what extent the experience of cohabitation equalizes the gendered division of housework. Drawing on four waves of data (2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018) from the China Family Panel Studies, this study is one of the first to provide nationally representative evidence on the relationship between premarital cohabitation and housework in China. Propensity score weighting and linear mixed effect models were employed. In contrast to findings from Western contexts, this study finds that in China, premarital cohabitation is not associated with a smaller gender gap in housework time after accounting for factors that affect selection into cohabitation. However, premarital cohabitation was associated with a significant decrease in women's housework time among urban residents and couples married after 1995, while its effect on men's housework time was not significant. Findings from this study highlight a gendered cohabitation effect on housework hours in China and underscore the importance of contextualizing the meanings of cohabitation and housework in non-Western contexts.

Parenthood wage gaps in multinational enterprises

While multinational enterprises (MNEs) are widely recognized for providing employment to a significant number of women around the globe, empirical evidence suggests that existing gender inequalities may be aggravated rather than alleviated in their subsidiaries. We build on gender theory to better understand how gender is construed and enacted differently in MNE subsidiaries compared to domestic firms, particularly with regard to the differential effects of parenthood on wage gaps for male versus female employees. Because of the relatively more demanding working conditions in MNE subsidiaries and their gendered policies and practices, we hypothesize that the motherhood penalty and fatherhood bonus are larger in MNE subsidiaries than in domestic firms. Using an extensive database of micro-level data of over 36,500 employees in 57 countries, we find a larger fatherhood bonus in MNE subsidiaries compared to domestic firms, but no significant difference in the motherhood penalty. Our results suggest that shifting entrenched gendered social beliefs and divisions of household labor is not the only pathway to gender equality, and call for a critical examination of gender-related values, perceptions, policies, and practices in MNEs, beyond a focus on supporting women (with children). We discuss managerial, theoretical, and societal implications accordingly.

A Case of Sticky Gender? Persistence and Change in the Division of Household Labor during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contemporary research finds that gender continues to provide an organizing framework for couples’ allocation of household labor. To explain this outcome, scholars focus on how structural arrangements and cultural beliefs contribute to the persistence of gender inequality in domestic labor. Yet scholarship has yet to fully clarify what combination of cultural and structural factors create persistent gender inequality in household labor. We use the COVID-19 pandemic as a naturally occurring event in which arrangements for childcare and work were upended, making it possible for many to rethink their household arrangements. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 81 respondents in heterosexual dual-earner couples, we examine how change in structural arrangements allowed some couples to develop a more egalitarian division of domestic labor. We also examine why an unequal division of labor persisted for most couples even amid the dramatic changes in their work and childcare arrangements and, for some, a strong desire to do so. We theorize that, taken alone, neither cultural attitudes nor shifts in the organization of work are sufficient to remove the stickiness of gender inequality in household work. Instead, structural change offers the possibility to change behavior, but only if cultural beliefs exist that make such change desirable.

Default property rules for same-gender marriages: equivalence over equality?

Abstract More and more jurisdictions accept that marriage should be open for all couples, both different and same gender. While this identical application of marriage as an institution is not open for debate, differences between same-gender couples and different-gender couples may have some value as to the precise content of marital property rules. Existing research finds that same-gender couples better represent the modern-day relationship model of equal role distribution, as they pursue a more egalitarian division of household labour and a greater individualization of finances than different-gender couples. Nevertheless, marital property rules have exclusively been shaped by the perspective of and inequalities experienced by (traditional) different-gender couples. The resulting heteronormative rules impose a degree of solidarity and protection that same-gender couples may not desire or need. Through 12 interviews, we carry out a first step in exploring the patrimonial wishes and needs of same-gender couples. We find that multiple interviewees prefer more autonomy during their relationship, while there is a preference to share assets upon a break-up or divorce. Consequently, we argue that a separation-based regime with a participation in the assets accumulated during the relationships offers a more appropriate property regime for same-gender couples than a community-based regime. While additional research is essential, the current findings could already offer arguments in further refining the current default regime for all married couples.

‘It’s a Man’s Job’: Doing Gender and Male Gatekeeping in the Division of Household Labor

Changes to domestic divisions of labor have been widely documented, but some tasks seem particularly resistant to change. Using the lens of ‘doing gender’, this article draws on interviews with 25 heterosexual working parent British couples who produced a ‘household portrait’ of their division of labor. It examines how they explain men’s continuing responsibility for ‘man-typed’ domestic tasks and why this is so resistant to change. Although men’s ‘gatekeeping’ of these tasks is consequential for the overall household division of labor, there is relatively little opposition from their women partners. This gatekeeping reproduces gendered meanings of ‘man-typed’ tasks and enables both men and women to ‘do gender’ while supporting their image of a ‘sharing’ couple.

Migration and making of non-heteronormative households and families: lived experiences of cisgender women partners of trans men in Bengaluru

Abstract The lived experiences of cisgender women partners of trans men are rarely a subject of concern, even for sexuality studies in India. This article looks into the lived experiences of cisgender-identified female partners of trans men who migrated to Bengaluru city from different parts of south India to live with their trans men partners. Despite constant opposition and threats from their natal families, these women decided to relocate to Bengaluru along with their trans men partners. Bengaluru-based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on gender and sexual minorities helped them migrate and settle in Bengaluru. The queer and trans community in Bengaluru also helped them deal with the challenges post-migration. Post-migration, these women formed households and families along with their trans men partners. This study uses Pfeffer’s conceptualization of ‘normative resistance’ and ‘inventive pragmatism’ to elucidate how, post- migration, the women and their trans men partners strategically resisted and accessed social structure/institutions to receive social recognition and escape public stigma and violence. The study also shows that inegalitarian emotional and household division of labour exists between the women and their trans men partners. Even as the women try to naturalize them, they were not passive receptors and have learned to strategize their roles in the household realm. Simultaneously, the article also shows that the space created by the NGOs and trans-civic networks in the city has helped these women form a strong community consciousness and forge support system that gives them the confidence to live with their trans men partners.

Depressive symptoms, gender equality and belongingness among older partnered individuals in Sweden

ABSTRACT Approximately one-third of all older adults in Sweden report periods with depressive symptoms. The study aims to find explanations for older partnered individuals’ depressive symptoms by focusing on their gender attitudes, household division of labor and conformity to younger partnered individuals’ commonly held gender attitudes and household division of labor. Analyses are based on a subsample (n respondents 1764) from the Swedish Generations and Gender Survey (2012/2013) including individuals aged 60–80. The analytical strategy is logistic regression. The findings show that individuals with traditional gender attitudes are more likely to report a high level of depressive symptoms than individuals with transitional (i.e. attitudes in between traditional and egalitarian attitudes) and individuals with egalitarian gender attitudes. Lower conformity to commonly held gender attitudes is also associated with a high level of depressive symptoms. However, neither the household division of labor nor conformity to common household division was associated with depressive symptoms. In later life, gender attitudes thus seem more important for depressive symptoms than the actual household division of labor. It may be that attitudes are more important than behavior among older couples, and a reason for this may be that behavior is likely more restricted by practical circumstances.

Division of Household Labour and Fertility Outcomes Among Dual‐Income Australian Couples

AbstractGender revolution theories of fertility posit that when employed women have extensive child care and household responsibilities, they opt to reduce family size. This study examines how household gender inequality influences decisions to have children. Several possible mediators, including wellbeing, relationship quality, and changes in desired family size, are examined. Results from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey show that household inequality reduces the likelihood of third births when both parents work full‐time. This is mediated by relationship satisfaction: when men contribute more to household labour, their partners are more satisfied, which is associated with increased fertility.

Housing demolition and labour force participation: A gender difference perspective

AbstractExisting research suggests that housing demolition negatively affects labour supply through the wealth effect of the demolition compensation. However, there is limited research on the gender differences in the impact of housing demolition on labour force participation. This study investigates the effects of housing demolition on labour force participation, with a specific focus on the gender difference. Using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies, this study reveals a significant decline in labour force participation resulting from housing demolition, primarily driven by females. Moreover, housing demolition exerts a stronger effect on the labour force participation of married women, who tend to take on more responsibilities for household chores, while its impact on married men is less evident. These findings offer valuable insights into the issue of labour shortage and underscore the importance of reducing the traditional gender‐based division of household labour.

Deconstructing the masculinized assumption of the medical profession: narratives of Japanese physician fathers

BackgroundGender studies in the medical profession have revealed gender biases associated with being a doctor, a profession often regarded as more suitable for men. The path to gender equality inevitably involves deconstructing this masculinized assumption. Despite the decades-long expectation that ikumen–men who actively participate in childcare in Japan–would contribute to a change toward gender equality, Japanese society is still male dominated, and women suffer from a large gender gap. With the aim of exploring implicit gendered assumptions concerning being a caregiver and a doctor, the authors focused on the experience of individuals juggling the binary roles of a professional and a caregiver.MethodsThe authors conducted subjectivist inductive research, recruited ten Japanese physician fathers through purposive sampling, and collected data through one-to-one semi-structured interviews between October 2017 and December 2018. The authors recorded and transcribed the narrative data, and extracted themes and representative narratives.ResultsThe study identified three themes about the reproduction and potential change of the gender gap: maintaining gendered assumptions of the medical profession without experiencing conflict, maintaining gendered assumptions of the medical profession while experiencing conflict, and deconstructing gendered assumptions of the medical profession through conflict. The authors found that these negotiations interplayed with the gendered division of labor between male doctors and their wives as well as the patriarchal family structure.ConclusionsThe study revealed how gendered assumptions of the medical profession, as well as gender stereotypes and gendered division of household labor, were reproduced in the course of male doctors’ negotiations when they became fathers. For male doctors to question their unconscious gender bias, the authors emphasize the importance of men gaining knowledge about gender stereotypes, and propose that educators create such opportunities. Moreover, the authors assert that increasing doctors’ awareness of how masculinized assumptions implicitly interact with ideas of being a doctor—an aspect rarely discussed among medical professionals—is crucial for deconstructing the gendered normativity in the medical field.

Changing time unchanging balance: Examining the effects of gender, personal dynamics, and actor-partner effect on Turkish couples division of household labor

Changing time unchanging balance: Examining the effects of gender, personal dynamics, and actor-partner effect on Turkish couples division of household labor