Why is dividing housework imortant?
As countries industrialize, women’s participation in the labor force generally increases. Yet, women still do a majority of the housework compared to men in these countries. Housework division affects societies on a macro level, through government policies on families and women’s paid work participation, and on the micro level with family well-being.
1. It influences government policies. Tracking hours spent on housework informs family policies such as childcare leave from work for either spouse. In Sweden, for instance, one of the countries with the highest amount of housework done by men, a “Daddy Leave” policy allows men to take paternity leave.
2. The amount of housework each sex does also determines
household consumption. If women work full time in the labor force and their husbands take on much greater household responsibility, then goods produced, like the amount of cooked meals, will not have to decline.
3. Division of housework also determines how much time each parent has to invest into child rearing.
4. Unequal division of housework can lead to marital strain as it is positively associated with divorce among wives. If more women are entering the labor force in advanced industrial countries, yet still doing the bulk of the housework, then frustration with their spouse can easily mount.