This press release from the American Sociological Association references a study from 2016. The researchers sought to determine which characteristics shape Americans’ ideas about how married couples should divide household labor, including relative income, masculine or feminine traits, and sex. Respondents were given information about either a heterosexual or same-sex couple and were then asked to assign tasks between each of the partners.
While the results for heterosexual couples weren’t surprising to me, the results for same-sex couples were. I think it is fascinating to see how seemingly harmless opinions about how our everyday lives should be lived can mask some of the most deep-rooted inequalities and power dynamics underlying our society.
Some highlights:
- Between same-sex partners, traditionally female chores were generally given to the more feminine partner, and traditionally male tasks were typically assigned to the more masculine partner.
- Sex was by far the strongest determinant of which tasks people assigned to each spouse in heterosexual couples.
- Nearly 75% of respondents thought that the female partners in heterosexual couples should be responsible for cooking, doing laundry, cleaning the house, and buying groceries.
- Nearly 90% of respondents thought that heterosexual men should be responsible for automobile maintenance and outdoor chores.
Does any of this surprise you?