GENDERED HOUSEWORK. A CROSS-EUROPEAN ANALYSIS

• Authors: Voicu B. , Voicu M. , Strapcova K.
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The paper focuses on the factors which influence the sharing of domestic work in European countries. Many previous studies have offered explanations on the individual level, taking into account only individual characteristics when predicting a spouse's contribution to chores. Using multilevel regression models, we try to combine the individual-level and country-level factors in order to draw an explanatory model for the gendered sharing of housework within couples across the European societies. The analysis provides support for most of the theories we have tested. The resource theory and the dependency/bargaining hypothesis were confirmed: in a couple, when one of the partners has more resources or a better status, the other spouse uses relatively more hours for the housework. On the other hand, religious and gender values play an important role: the more secular and more oriented towards gender equality a couple is in thinking, the more equally the partners share their housework. However, on the average, all over the world, women spend more hours on housework than men do. The country-level indicators seem to be less important, but the societies which are more affluent, less materialist societies, post-communist societies, societies where women are more present in public life, and those where Catholicism is not the dominant religion are characterized by a more equalitarian sharing of the housework.

Keywords

EN

EUROPEAN SOCIETIES; GENDER ROLES; HOUSEWORK; MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Discipline

• SOCIOLOGY: SOCIOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Sociology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Sociológia (Sociology)
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 502-521
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Voicu B.

author

Voicu M.

author

Strapcova K.

• Research Institute for Quality of Life, Romanian Academy of Science, Calea 13 Septembrie no.13, Sector 5, 76.117, Bucharest, Romania

• B. Voicu, Research Institute for Quality of Life, Romanian Academy of Science, Calea 13 Septembrie no.13, Sector 5, 76.117, Bucharest, Romania

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

08SKAAAA03727483