The Division of Paid Labor in Same-Sex Couples in the Netherlands

Abstract

This study examines the division of paid labor among gay male and lesbian couples in the Netherlands. We hypothesize that same-sex couples have a more equal division of paid labor than different-sex couples, partly because of lower marriage and fertility rates, and partly because equity norms are more strongly embraced regardless of family stage. Furthermore, we expect that traditional gender roles result in more hours of paid work by gay male couples than lesbian couples. Descriptive and OLS regression analyses are carried out on 13 waves of the Dutch Labor Force Surveys (1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007), which include 998 gay male couples and 1,033 lesbian couples. Results support all hypotheses: same-sex couples divide paid labor more equally than different-sex couples; lesbian couples specialize less after marriage or childbirth; and gay male couples work more hours than lesbian couples. We discuss how our findings can be translated across countries.

Access to the labour market for gays and lesbians: Research review

“…As for the latter, family-status discrimination refers to the phenomenon where employers tend to perceive fathers (mothers) more (less) committed to work than women and men who do not have children (Ueno et al, 2013). Because gay men and lesbians are more often childless than their heterosexual counterparts (Jaspers & Verbakel, 2012), for lesbians (gay men) this entails that they will have a higher (lower) chance of holding a male-typical job than their heterosexual counterparts (Ueno et al, 2013).…”

Assortative Mating Among Dutch Married and Cohabiting Same‐Sex and Different‐Sex Couples

“…These egalitarian norms may be related to the liberal attitudes in general and to the higher educational levels usually observed among same‐sex couples. They may also result from the simple fact that these couples consist of two persons of the same sex who have both been socialized with the same gender roles (Jaspers & Verbakel, ). In the partner selection process, similarity in education and age are arguably more important criteria for equality‐minded couples.…”

“…Second, whether the conventionality argument applies more strongly to gay male couples than to lesbian couples depends on whether male–male partnerships are more or less unconventional than female–female partnerships, and this cannot be determined a priori. Third, relationship commitment may, on the one hand, be argued to be stronger for female–female couples because they have children more often (Jaspers & Verbakel, ). On the other hand, commitment may be weaker for female–female couples because they have higher dissolution risks, at least in Norway and Sweden (Andersson et al, ).…”

LGBTI in OECD Countries

“…By contrast, same-sex couples are expected to show a lower degree of household specialization by virtue of being same-sex. This prediction is by and large confirmed empirically (Jaspers and Verbakel (2013) in the Netherlands, Jepsen andJepsen (2002, 2015) in the US, Bauer (2016) in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden). 107…”