Division Of Household Labor Research Articles

Equity but not Equality: Commentary on Lachance-Grzela and Bouchard

Lachance-Grzela and Bouchard (2010) review the research concerning the division of household labor that has been published between 2000 and 2009, with special emphasis placed on micro-level and macro-level perspectives and on methodological considerations. This commentary suggests that perceived fairness is an important factor that cannot be separated from the impact of division of household labor. Women perform the majority of household labor, yet the majority of both men and women view this unequal division to be fair. In the past, perceived fairness has been linked to both mental and relationship health. Perceived fairness is discussed from a micro-level and macro-level perspective and in terms of methodological considerations using research primarily published within the last decade.

Gender Theory and Household Labor

This commentary evaluates and extends Lachance-Grzela and Bouchard’s (2010) review of household labor studies published between 2000 and 2009. Article sampling choices and coverage issues are reviewed and critiqued, followed by a discussion of gender theories and the relationship of divisions of household labor to systems of gender stratification. The author applauds the recent turn toward conceptualizing and measuring national political and policy contexts in household labor studies and calls for more use of meso-level variables and reliance on multi-dimensional theories of gender inequality in analyzing divisions of paid and unpaid labor.

Impact of women involvement in fisheries on socio-economics of fisher households in Negombo, Sri Lanka

The socio-economics of the households in Wellaweediya fishing village in Negombo, Sri Lanka were studied in relation to women involvement in fisheries. No women in the village were engaged in pre-harvest activities and catching fish. Of the women involved in fisheries, about 50% were involved in fish processing activities such as gutting, salting and sun-drying. Those who were involved in gutting of fish earned about Rs. 300.00 for working for 6 hours per day while those who were engaged in salting and sun-drying were paid only Rs. 200.00 for working for about 12 hours per day. About 31% were involved in marketing the catch. By working for about 3½ hours per day, they earned Rs. 200.00 - 700.00. About 13% were involved in removing fish from small meshed gill nets and they were paid about Rs. 100.00 for working for 2 hours per day. The balance 6% were involved in collecting fish in to transportation baskets and for working for about 2 hours they were paid Rs. 100.00 if the catch was good and Rs. 50.00 if the catch was poor. The women labour of those involved in salting and drying and collecting fish into transportation baskets were found to be exploited with gender discrimination. The mean monthly income of the households where women were involved in fisheries was about Rs. 9350.00, which was about twice of the income of the households where women were not involved in fisheries. Most of the women involved in fisheries could not write and/or read and spent a more traditional way of life. Husbands of most of them were regular consumers of liquor. These women have not changed their gender based household division of labour and carried out activities such as cooking, washing, taking care of children etc. DOI: 10.4038/sljas.v14i0.2199 Sri Lanka J. Aquat. Sci. 14 (2009): 45-57

Working-Class Job Loss, Gender, and the Negotiation of Household Labor

Scholars see the gendered division of household labor as a stronghold of gender inequality. We explore changes in household labor and gender relations when conservative, working-class families experience employment disruptions. Using data from 49 qualitative interviews conducted with men and women following the forced unemployment of breadwinning husbands, we observe some change in gendered household labor but conclude that a significant degendering of housework is thwarted by institutional-, interactive-, and individual-level processes. At the institutional level, the lack of well-paying jobs and the persistent gendering of household tasks discourage change. At the individual level, challenges to gendered identities encourage a reinforcement of traditional gender ideologies. At the interactional level, women’s responsibility for care work and the meaning of paid work for unemployed husbands forestall the adjustment of tasks.

The Division of Household Labor in Spanish Dual Earner Couples: Testing Three Theories

Although the participation of men in household activities has increased, this has not prompted an equitable division of household activities among men and women, since Spanish women continue to perform a greater share of these activities than Spanish men. This article explores the explanatory potential of three theoretical approaches (traditional gender division, role-strain and the resource-bargaining approach) to account for the emergence of different patterns in the division of unpaid work among Spanish dual earner couples. Using a representative sample of 2,877 Spanish workers and through logit ordered models, our study reveals that the three models contribute to the explanation of the different patterns of household labor and, therefore, may be regarded as complementary.

The Answer Doesn’t Seem to Change, so Maybe We Should Change the Question: A Commentary on Lachance-Grzela and Bouchard (2010)

This article comments on Lachance-Grzela and Bouchard (2010), which reviews research published 2000–2009 on the division of household labor. I argue that while Lachance-Grzela and Bouchard summarize the general state of knowledge on this topic, their review highlights what is missing from research on the division of household labor. To move beyond questioning why women perform the majority of housework requires a different set of questions, using a variety of data collection and analysis techniques, and a clear eye toward broader social theory.

The household division of labour in young dual‐earner couples the case of Canada

The household division of labour in young dual‐earner couples the case of Canada

Well… She Wants It More: Perceptions of Social Norms about Desires for Marriage and Children and Anticipated Chore Participation

The current study examined how desire for marriage and children related to anticipated chore involvement for both men and women. An online survey was completed by 466 college students recruited from multiple colleges and universities in Virginia. Participants provided information about their own desire for marriage and children, expectations for future division of household labor, and their perceptions of the typical woman's and man's desires for marriage and children. Men and women did not differ in their self-reported desires for marriage and children. However, the typical man was perceived as having a lower desire for both marriage and children and the typical woman as having a higher desire for both. Desire for marriage and children was predicted by anticipated chore involvement above and beyond liberal attitudes for women but not for men. These findings are discussed in terms of how social norms and stereotypes affect power in relationships through the principle of least interest.

Gender Inequality in the Division of Household Labour in Tanzania

Cette étude a examiné les normes de genre et le langage utilisé pour rationaliser l'inégalité entre les sexes concernant la division du travail des ménages en Tanzanie. Des étudiants universitaires et des étudiants du secondaire tanzaniens ont participé à des entretiens, des groupes de discussion et des enquêtes pour cette étude. Les résultats suggèrent que les hommes tanzaniens ont des attentes très traditionnelles concernant les rôles de genre tandis que les femmes tanzaniennes ont des attentes plus progressistes. Certaines normes de genre, y compris l'attente selon laquelle les femmes devraient être responsables des enfants et devraient faire plus de travail que les hommes en général, ont été démontrées. naturalisation, la tentative de justifier une inégalité telle que le sexisme en prétendant quela disparité est tout simplement naturelle, a été utilisée pour expliquer les inégalités ; comme l'était la minimisation, la tentative de justifier une inégalité en réduisant l'importance du problème. Enfin, le sexisme culturel a tenté de justifier l'inégalité entre les sexes en expliquant les différences entre les sexes par des pratiques culturelles plutôt que par le sexisme.

Why Do Women Do the Lion’s Share of Housework? A Decade of Research

The body of recent American research indicates that women continue to perform the vast majority of household labor. Understanding the conditions under which couples can achieve an egalitarian division of household labor constitutes one of the first steps in attaining gender equity in the private and public spheres. This article discusses the state of research on the division of household labor published between 2000 and 2009. After a discussion of conceptualization and methodological issues, we review empirical findings that support or challenge the micro- and macro-level perspectives (focusing on individual characteristics and national contexts, respectively) that have been proposed to explain the gendered allocation of labor. We then review studies focusing on the interplay between these two prominent perspectives.

Justifications and Comparisons in the Division of Household Labor: The Relevance of Gender Ideology

This study tests the direct relevance of justifications and social comparisons (predictors of perceptions of fairness) on different types of household labour distribution, and the importance of masculinity ideology and neosexism on these variables. The participants were heterosexual dual-earner couples. Our results showed that both men and women use more justifications when their housework distribution is not equal, but only women use social comparisons associated with the ways of distributing domestic work. In addition, we observe that, in both men and women, justifications are related to a traditional masculine ideology, but a different model appears in relation to comparisons which are associated with neosexism in men and with traditional masculine ideology in women. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

“Negotiating Fairness”: A Study on How Lesbian Family Members Evaluate, Construct, and Maintain “Fairness” with the Division of Household Labor

In this article, I examine how dual-earner lesbian families construct and evaluate an equal division of household labor through their perceptions of “fairness.” Through 22 interviews of dual-earner lesbian families (a total of 44 subjects), I identify that lesbian partners use social comparisons with heterosexual families with whom they have contact, as well as their former heterosexual and homosexual families as an important link to justify what they believe to be a fair division of household labor. Childhood socialization and parental models, however, were not shown to adequately explain how members of a lesbian family construct a perception of equality concerning household division of labor.

Mattering and wives’ perceived fairness of the division of household labor

Using data on married women from the sixth survey wave of the Marital Instability over the Life Course (2000, N = 489), we examine the influence of mattering, or the extent to which wives believe they are important to their husbands, on wives’ perceptions of fairness of the division of household labor. Mattering taps into wives’ beliefs about their husbands’ supportiveness of them, as evidenced by respect, concern, and appreciation. We find that the more wives believe they matter to their husbands, the more likely they are to report the division of housework is fair, regardless of the share of housework wives perform, time availability, relative resources, and gender role attitudes. This research contributes to prior work on wives’ perceived fairness of the division of household labor by demonstrating the salience of broader emotional dynamics in the marriage.

Social Exchange Theory and the Division of Household Labor in Same-Sex Couples

Same-sex couples are often not seen as a family unit and are excluded from research, including family research on topics such as household division of labor. The author examined division of household labor, using social exchange theory, among 165 survey respondents in a same-sex relationship. Division of labor was measured by the percentage of tasks performed according to the respondent. Status differences between partners (e.g., higher, equal, lower) in terms of income, education, hours spent on paid labor outside the home, employment status, age, and race (here, only same or different races) were the independent variables. In general, as predicted by social exchange theory, partners with greater resources or power performed fewer household tasks. Satisfaction with division of labor and sense of being appreciated for one's contributions to household tasks were positively correlated with global relationship satisfaction. However, some inconsistencies indicate gaps in social exchange theory and that other factors may be important in understanding division of labor among same-sex couples.

The Effects of Locality on the Division of Household Labor

The Effects of Locality on the Division of Household Labor

“Women's Work”? Women Partners of Transgender Men Doing Housework and Emotion Work

Despite increasing family studies research on same‐sex cohabiters and families, the literature is virtually devoid of transgender and transsexual families. To bridge this gap, I present qualitative research narratives on household labor and emotion work from 50 women partners of transgender and transsexual men. Contrary to much literature on “same‐sex” couples, the division of household labor and emotion work within these contemporary families cannot simply be described as egalitarian. Further, although the forms of emotion work and “gender strategies,”“family myths,” and “accounts” with which women partners of trans men engage resonate with those from women in (non‐trans) heterosexual and lesbian couples, they are also distinct, highlighting tensions among personal agency, politics, and structural inequalities in family life.

Is Justice Contextual? Married Women’s Perceptions of Fairness of the Division of Household Labor in 12 Nations

Distributive justice theory argues that individuals make fairness decisions partly by comparing themselves to similarly situated others. Utilizing fixed effects analyses of 4,643 married women nested in 12 nations from the l 991 International Social Justice Project, this paper examines whether the relationship between the division of household labor and perceptions of fairness of that division was informed by such comparisons. Specifically, this paper tests whether political history, women’s political representation, and average division of labor within a nation set expectations for the division of household labor against which married women made fairness determinations. Although political history and women’s political representation seem to have been directly influential in constructing fairness determinations in 199 1, married women did not seem to use the expectations of (in)equality as comparison referents. The normative division of labor within a nation did not directly or indirectly influence perceptions of fairness. Nations provide a context within which married women make fairness determinations; setting expectations does not seem to have been the mechanism through which context has historically operated. Additional cross-national research on this topic is warranted.

Childbearing and Work-Family Balance among Contemporary Russian Women

There are contrasting views on how gender equality affects fertility in contemporary European societies. This article discusses the Russian situation by asking how tensions in the contemporary gender system relate to reproductive decision-making and identity. How do gendered practices and identities influence womens intentions to have children?In depth interview data gathered during the last decade is used to analyze how the two main gender contracts of the professional women and the working mother relate to family planning, child birth, pregnancies, and mothering. Results indicate that while Russian women experience increasing pressure of the double burden and few signs of increasing gender equality in domestic life, the stable identity of Russian mothering contributes to the birth of at least one child. Childbearing does not depend directly on gender roles and division of labor in households. The decision to have a child and care for small children continues to be womens responsibility even as fertility patterns have modernized and gender equality in couple relations is slightly increasing. However, the type of gender contract influences the process of negotiation concerning reproductive matters and the timing of childbirth.

Gender-role attitudes and behavior across the transition to parenthood.

On the basis of social structural theory and identity theory, the current study examined changes in gender-role attitudes and behavior across the first-time transition to parenthood and following the birth of a second child for experienced mothers and fathers. Data were analyzed from the ongoing longitudinal Wisconsin Study of Families and Work. Gender-role attitudes, work and family identity salience, and division of household labor were measured for 205 first-time and 198 experienced mothers and fathers across 4 time points from 5 months pregnant to 12 months postpartum. Multilevel latent growth curve analysis was used to analyze the data. In general, parents became more traditional in their gender-role attitudes and behavior following the birth of a child, women changed more than men, and first-time parents changed more than experienced parents. Findings suggest that changes in gender-role attitudes and behavior following the birth of a child may be attributed to both the process of transitioning to parenthood for the first time and that of negotiating the demands of having a new baby in the family. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

The Gender Division of Household Labor in Vietnam: Cohort Trends and Regional Variations

This study addresses the extent of change and region al differences in gender roles in the Vietnamese family based on innovative surveys in northern and southern Vietnam. The similarities and differences in political, economic, and social histories between northern and southern Vietnam provide a compelling setting to investigate the impact of socialist policies and the recent shift from a centrally planned to a market economy on gender stratification in the domestic spheres. We assess determinants of the gender division of household labor among three marriage cohorts that underwent early marital years during 1) the Vietnam War and mass mobilization, 2) nationwide socialist collectivization and economic stagnation, and 3) market reform. We find that Vietnamese wives still do the vast majority of housework. In this sense, government efforts to change gender roles apparently have had at most limited success. Vietnamese husbands in the most recent marriage cohort, however, are more involved in household budget management and childcare than those in the two earlier cohorts. Thus, contrary to claims of some observers, evidence does not suggest that gender equality in the Vietnamese household has been deteriorating after the market reform.