The Division of Household Labor

Introduction to Family Studies

April 22, 2023

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Blog Assignments•7 of 8 blog assignments MUST be

completed by next Wed. a.m.

04/22/23

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APA Style

•APA stands for American Psychological Association

•http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/07/

April 22, 2023

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Why study the division of household labor?Research on housework has

implications for gender inequality in both the work and family spheres▫Good example of the inter-relationship between

two social institutions, the economy and familiesResearch on housework also

highlights the interplay between the micro and macro levels

Study of housework shows how gender is socially constructed

April 22, 2023

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Why study the division of household labor?Unequal social change:Major change in one social institution -- the economy -- increase in the

percentage of married women and mothers in the labor force is not met by similar change in

-- families -- in the amount of household labor performed by married men/fathers

April 22, 2023

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Why study the division of household labor?Unequal social change: In other words – married women and

mothers have taken on more paid work responsibility but still devote more time to unpaid family work

While men have not “taken up the slack” at home in equal amounts of time or responsibility

April 22, 2023

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Division of Household Labor•Today we’ll examine the time spent on

housework

•By wives and husbands

•By teen girls and boys

April 22, 2023

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Division of Household Labor•In 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS) reports:

▫58.6 percent of women are in the civilian labor force -- up from 39 percent in 1950

▫77.2 percent of mothers with children ages 6 to 17

years of age work for pay

Source: http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.htm

April 22, 2023

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Labor force participation rates for married women, by age of youngest child

9

Ages 6-17

Under Age 6Under age 6

Ages 6 - 17

Paid Labor Force Participation•The increasing trend in women’s labor force

participation rate flattened in the 1990s

•Since 2000 the labor force participation rate has declined somewhat

• Source: New York Times, 3/2/2006

April 22, 2023

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Has Women’s Labor Force Participation Slowed?•Recent article in the NY Times states “Stretched

to the Limit, Women Stall March to Work”•Argument is that without more help with

housework, working mothers have “hit a wall”•The increase in women’s labor force

participation has helped fuel economic growth

•But in the economic downturn labor force participation is down for both men and women

Source: New York Times, 3/2/2006

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The good news•According to a survey by John Robinson

•From 1965 to 1985 the time men spent on household labor doubled from 4.6 hours per week to 10 hours per week

•Over the same period, women reduced their time spent in housework from 27 hours to 20 hours

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The bad news•It appears men are doing a larger

proportion of housework and child care, but much of this change was due to women reducing their time on housework

•Numerous studies based on different data sources show wives still perform about 2/3 of housework, even when they work full-time

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The bad news•Data from the National Survey of

Families and Households (NSFH) collected from 6,882 husbands and wives on hours spent on 9 household chores

April 22, 2023

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Mean Number of Hours Spent on 9 Household Tasks per Week by Dual-Earner Spouses

0

2

4

6

8

10

Mea

n Nu

mbe

r

Husbands

Wives

15

Source: NSFH, 1993

Unpaid work: The bad news•Wives do a greater number of tasks than

husbands•And they spend more time on housework•On average, dual-earner wives spent 32

hours each week on 9 household tasks•Dual-earner husbands spent only 19

hours per week on same tasks

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The bad news•These same wives spent on average 40

hours per week in paid labor•While, husbands spent 44 hours per

week in paid labor•In sum, wives spent a total of 72 hours

per week in paid and unpaid labor, while husbands spent 63 hours in paid and unpaid labor combined

April 22, 2023

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Combined Hours Spent per Week on Housework and Paid Work by Dual-earner

Married Couples

3219

40

44

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Wives Husbands

Paid WorkHousework

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The bad news•In other words, dual-earner wives spent

9 more hours per week working than their husbands

•This adds up to 36 hours per month•Arlie Hochschild calls wives’ extra

work the “Second Shift”

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The worse news

•Given significant changes in women’s lives: 1) Higher labor force participation rates2) Changing attitudes toward more gender

equality3) Greater educational opportunities for

girls…we might expect less gendered division of housework among children?

April 22, 2023

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Weekly hours Spent by Teens on Household Tasks, Grades 9 & 12

17.2

13.1

15

8.9

0

5

10

15

20

9th grade 12th grade

girls boys

April 22, 2023

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Mean Hours Spent on Selected Activities – Grade 9

6.7

15.7

6.7

0.6

7.56.0

13.1

8.8

3.70.6

0

4

8

12

16

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Homework Vol. work Paid Job Extra-curr. Hsewrk

girls boys

22

April 22, 2023

Source: Youth Development Survey

Unpaid work: The worse news•In ninth grade, girls spend more time on paid

work, homework, and housework than boys•Boys spend more time on extra-curricular

activities across high school•Teen girls are already learning to multi-task

by ninth grade•Girls and boys are growing up to expect a

gendered and unfair division of labor

April 22, 2023

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Unpaid work: The bad news•At the same time, NSFH data also show that:• 90 percent of wives and 81 percent of husbands

agree that couples who work full-time should share household tasks equally

• 72 percent of dual-earner husbands and 66 percent

of dual-earner wives say the division of household labor is fair to both spouses

•What explains these conflicting data?

April 22, 2023

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Wives' & Husbands' Perceptions of Fairness of the Division of

Household Labor

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April 22, 2023

Sex and Housework Link•My research shows a link between time spent on

housework and sexual frequency among married couplesCheck out this article on our research in the Wall St. Journal

• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704500604574485351638147312.html

•And Professor Gager on TV! • http://www.nbcnewyork.com/shows/lxnewyork/Does

_the_Couple_That_Cleans_Together_Stay_Together__All__National_.html

April 22, 2023

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The Second Shift•Arlie Hochschild reviews data on the

division of household labor•Shows that women are working a “second

shift” of housework, after they work at their paid job

•She also talks about how wives compare themselves to other women – not to their own husbands

April 22, 2023

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The Second ShiftWhat is the stalled revolution?• Unequal social change• Women have entered the labor force, but

men are not doing equal amounts of work in the home

April 22, 2023

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The Second Shift• Joey’s Problem: Nancy & Evan Holt• How did you answer the questions for

Assignment 6? • Hochschild describes the family myths used

by couple Nancy and Evan Holt• In other words, she tells the story they make

up about their division of labor but what is the real story according to Hochschild?

April 22, 2023

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The Second Shift• Joey’s Problem: Nancy & Evan Holt• Assignment 6? •1. According to Hochshcild, what is the “Second

Shift?” •2. Briefly describe the story of Evan and Nacy

Holt. •3. Hochschild argues that families create “myths”

about their division of household labor. Describe the family myth created by Nancy and Evan Holt.

April 22, 2023

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The Second Shift• Joey’s Problem: Nancy & Evan Holt• Assignment 6? •4. According to Hochschild, what is the purpose

of family myths? •5. Was this reading surprising to you and why?

How do you imagine you will divide family work (including child care) in your own marriage or cohabitation?

April 22, 2023

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Families and unpaid work: Where do we go from here?• Summary• Girls and women perform more household

labor than their male peers• Hochschild calls this the “Second Shift”• If women and girls continue to do more

unpaid labor, will we see real change in gender inequality at the macro and micro levels?

• If we do not close the gender gap at home, can we close the gender gap at work?

April 22, 2023

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