Headed toward Equality? Housework Change in Comparative Perspective

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Citation

Geist, Claudia & Cohen, Philip N. (2011). Headed toward Equality? Housework Change in Comparative Perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(4), 832-844. PMCID: PMC3898932

Abstract

This paper examines gendered housework in the larger context of comparative social change, asking specifically whether crossnational differences in domestic labor patterns converge over time. Our analysis of data from 13 countries (N = 11,065) from the 1994 and 2002 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) confirmed that social context matters in shaping couples' division of labor at home, but also showed that context affects patterns of change. Our results suggested that, compared to the most egalitarian countries, the shift in housework patterns was greatest among the most traditional countries. This provides support for the thesis of cultural convergence, but the evidence did not suggest that such convergence will lead to complete equality in the foreseeable future.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00850.x

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2011

Journal Title

Journal of Marriage and Family

Author(s)

Geist, Claudia
Cohen, Philip N.

PMCID

PMC3898932