The age-old stereotype that women do more
housework than men has gotten more credibility with a George Mason
University study co-written by sociologist Shannon Davis.
The study of more than 17,000 people in 28 countries found
that married men report doing less housework than men who are
live-in boyfriends.
This study was recently published in the Journal of Family
Issues by Davis and co-authors Theodore Greenstein and Jennifer
Gerteisen Marks of North Carolina State University.
According to Davis, the key finding of the study is that it
suggests the institution of marriage changes the division of
labor. Couples with an egalitarian view on gender—seeing
men and women as equal—are more likely to divide the household
chores equally. However, in married relationships, even if an
egalitarian viewpoint is present, men still report doing less
housework than their wives.
“Marriage as an institution seems to have a traditionalizing
effect on couples—even couples who see men and women as
equal,” says Davis.
While the researchers did not follow cohabitating couples over
time to see if their division of housework changed after marriage,
their study provides a “snapshot” in time of couples
all over the world.
“Our research suggests that couples across many countries
are influenced by similar factors when deciding how to divide
the housework,” she says. “It’s the way the society
has defined what being married means, the institution itself,
that affects behavior.”
