The Exchange Value of Housework

Abstract

Explaining persistent inequalities in the division of household labor amid secular change in women's employment patterns and in sex-role attitudes remains a challenge for sociologists and economists. The predominant conceptual solutions draw from a unifying paradigm of genderneutral exchange, and furthermore align with economic or quasi-economic images of purposive action. This article analyzes three models from this class of explanations—the human capital theory of household time allocation, the resource-bargaining perspective on marital power, and the economic dependency model—using data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. The results fail to support any of the three variations on the theme of gender neutrality in the principles governing the division of household labor. Instead, the pattern of negative findings provokes consideration of how husbands' and wives' housework behavior might serve as a vehicle of symbolic display. Evidence is presented suggesting that among couples whose earnings arrangement seriously deviates from the gender norm, housework is used symbolically to reassert one's “essential” masculinity or femininity. Overall, the results support a more expansive view of spousal exchange as a means of addressing the puzzle of why housework remains “women's work.”

Policy, Preferences, and Patriarchy: The Division of Domestic Labor in East Germany, West Germany, and the United States

“…Children have been found to increase women's absolute and relative share of domestic tasks (Brines 1993;McAllister 1990;Presser 1994;Shelton and John 1996;South and Spitze 1994). This same effect is expected here, indicated if the child measure predicts a more traditional division of domestic responsibility (negative coefficient), with the effect possibly greater in West Germany where wives have been specifically charged with this responsibility.…”

“…Some U.S. evidence indicates that men's education level is positively associated with their domestic participation (Brines 1993;Presser 1994;South and Spitze 1994), while other studies find no association (Kamo 1991;McAllister 1990) or that the effect disappears once gender ideology is included (Kamo 1994). Women's greater educational attainment is associated with less time in domestic tasks (Blair and Lichter 1991;Brines 1993;South and Spitze 1994) and is normally interpreted as an education effect on ideology. Women's education could also, however, reflect an indirect effect of economic resources (controlled for in the model with the log of household income variable) and the use of purchased domestic services.…”

Mares sobrecarregades. Factors que causen més dedicació de les mares en el treball domèstic

“…La teoria dels recursos relatius es basa en l'argument presentat per Blood i Wolfe (1960), segons el qual l'assignació de les tasques de la llar és el resultat de la negociació entre els homes i les dones, que utilitzen qualsevol dels recursos de què poden disposar per aconseguir el millor acord en nom de l'interès propi (Brines, 1993). Homes i dones tenen diferents poders de negociació d'acord amb els seus recursos i valors econòmics.…”

De mannen achter succesvolle vrouwen: ‘kanjers’ of ‘maatjes’?

“…Terwijl Brines (1993; liet zien dat vrouwen, zelfs wanneer ze meer verdienen dan hun partners, toch meer huishoudelijk werk doen dan hun echtgenoten, vonden Davis, Greenstein en Gertesen Marks (2007) dat bij stellen waarvan de vrouw meer verdient, alleen mannen en niet vrouwen rapporteren dat ze meer doen aan huishoudelijk werk dan mannen van wie de partner evenveel bijdraagt aan het gezinsinkomen. Bianchi et al (2000) toonden aan dat mannen meer gaan doen in het huishouden naarmate de vrouw een groter aandeel in het gezinsinkomen heeft.…”