Gender equality in the domestic division of labour

The domestic division of labour has become more since the 1950s. · Numerous surveys carried out since the 1950s show a narrowing of the gender ... Skiptocontent Whodoesthehousework?MenorWomen? Domenandwomendoequalamountsofhouseworkandchildcaretodayoristhereevidenceofadualburdenforwomen?Whatdothetrendssuggestaboutwomen’sempowerment?  Beforereadingthispost,youmightliketoreadthisprecedingpost:ConceptualizingGenderEquality,whichcoverssomeoftheconceptssociologistshavedevelopedovertheyearstodescribetrendstowardsgenderequalityindomesticlife. Ausefulresourceforexploring‘rawsurveydata’onwhodoesthehouseworkistheUnderstandingSocietyUKLongitudinalStudy. Thedomesticdivisionoflabourhasbecomemoresincethe1950s. Numeroussurveyscarriedoutsincethe1950sshowanarrowingofthegendergapinthedomesticdivisionoflaobur.LiberalFeministsandYoungandWilmottwouldarguethatthisisbecausemorewomenareinpaidworkandfamiliesbecomemoresymmetrical.Anotherreasonforthisisthe‘commercialisationofhousework’–Newtechnologiessuchaswashingmachines,hooversandfridge-freezers(thinkreadymeals)havereducedtheamountofhouseworkthatneedsdoingandnarrowsthegenderdivideinthedomesticdivisionoflabour. LockdownnarrowedtheGenderedDivisionofLabourGap A2020studyfromtheONSfoundthatbeforeLockdown,in2104-15,womendid1hour50minutesmorehouseworkandchildcareperdaythanmen,whichreducedto1hourand7minutesperdayduringLockdown. HistoricEvidenceofgenderinequalityinthedomesticdivisionoflabour Despitethequitedramaticchangeswithlockdown,historicallythereisconsiderableevidencethattheGenderedDivisionofLabourshowsapersistentpatternofwomendoingalotmorehouseworkandchildcarethanmen! A2019studyUCLstudybasedoninterviewswith8500oppositesexcouplesfoundthat: Womendo16hoursofhouseholdchoreseveryweek,mendoclosertosix.Womendidthebulkofthedomesticchoresin93percentofcouples.Therewasa50-50splitofdomesticchoresin6%ofcouplesOnly1%ofcoupleshadmendoingmoredomesticworkthanwomen. ThisworkissummarisedinthisIndependentarticle. Housework–GenderedVariationsbyEthnicity A2016studyshowedthatwhilewomendoalmosttwiceasmuchhouseworkthanmeninWhiteBritishandBlackBritishhouseholds,womendothreetimsasmuchhouseworkthanmeninIndianhouseholds,andfourtimesasmuchinPakistaniandBangladeshihouseholds. Thestudyfoundthatgenderattitudesandlackofeducationwerepredictorsofhouseworkimbalance–moreeducatedwomeninallethnicgroupsdidproportionatelylesshousework. A2014surveybytheBBC’sWomen’sHourfoundwomendevotewellovertheequivalentofaworkingdayeachweektohouseholdchores–doubletheamountundertakenbymen.ThepollforBBCRadio4’sWoman’sHoursuggeststhatwomenspendanaverageof11-and-a-halfhoursdoinghouseworkbytheirownestimation,whilemencompletejustsix. Source–ChoreWarsPoll Similarfindingswererevealedinasurveyofalmost1,000usersoftheMumsnetwebsite. Changinglightbulbs,takingthebinsoutandDIYweretheonlythreeof54commondomestictasksdoneinmorethanhalfofcasesbymen,with15roughlysharedandtherestchieflycarriedoutbywomen.Mostoftendonebyfemalepartnerswereorganisingplaydates,healthappointments,childcareandbirthdayparties–aswellascleaningandlaundry.Parentsevenings,schoolplaysandbedtimestoriesaremostoftenseenassharedactivities.JustineRoberts,CEOofMumsnetsaid:“Oneinthreeworkingmumsisthemainfamilywageearner,ariseofonemillionoverthelast18years… Butdespitethis,womenarestillbustingagutbackhome,responsibleforthevastmajorityofchoresanddomesticresponsibilities.It’snotsurprisingwestilltalkaboutglassceilingsandthelackofwomenatthetop.Mostofusarejusttooexhaustedtoclimbthegreasypole.” Accordingtoa2011surveybytheSocialIssuesResearchCentre,TheChangingFaceofMotherhood,therehasbeenhardlyanychangeindomesticdivisionoflabouroverthelast20years(sincethemid1990s): In1994itemergedthatfor79percentofcouplesthewomandidmostorallofthelaundry,withtherolebeingsharedinonly18percentofcases.Thelatestsurvey(in2011)showedthattheproportionsharingtherolehasonlyrisenbytwopercentagepoints.In70percentofhouseslaundryisstillseenaswomen’swork.Inthekitchen,therehasbeenvirtuallynochangeinthelast10years.Womenstilldothelion’sshareofthecookingin55percentofcouplehouseholds.Whenitcomestotaskssuchasshoppingforgroceries,women’sworkloadhasincreasedslightlytheearly1990s.Thepicturewassimilarwhenpeoplewereaskedaboutcleaningandcaringforsickfamilymembers.Bycontrast,DIYisstillseenasvirtuallythesolepreserveofmenin75percentofhouseholds–exactlyasitwasalmost20yearsago Source. Analysis–WhodoestheHousework?MenorWomen? LookingattheabovestatisticsitseemsreasonabletoconcludethatRadicalFeministconceptssuchasthedualburdenandthetripleshiftstillapply.Wecanalsoconcludethatwomengoingintopaidworkhasnotyetresultedintotalequalityinthedomesticdivisionoflabour.Italsoseemsreasonabletoassumethattheremaybesocialclassdifferencesinthegendereddivisionoflabour–thetop10%ofhouseholdswillbeinapositiontohirecleanersandchildcarethusreducingthedualburdenonmiddleclass,professionalwomen.Anotherwayinwhichmiddleclasswomenwillbeadvantagedcomparedtoworkingclassisthatbecauseoftheirhusbands’hireearningpower,theywillbemoreabletotaketimeoffworktobefulltimestayathomemums–meaningthattheymaydomoredomesticlabour,butatleasttheydon’tsufferthedualburdenandtripleshift. RelatedPosts Towhatextentaregenderrolesequal? PleaseclickheretoreturntothemainReviseSociologyhomepage! LeaveaReply Cancelreply ThissiteusesAkismettoreducespam.Learnhowyourcommentdataisprocessed. 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