The virus changed everything, didn't it? Couples' division of housework and childcare before and during the Corona crisis
Titelübersetzung:Das Virus hat alles verändert, oder? Die Aufteilung von Hausarbeit und Kinderbetreuung in Paarbeziehungen vor und während der Corona-Krise
Autor/in:
Hank, Karsten; Steinbach, Anja
Quelle: JFR - Journal of Family Research, 33 (2021) 1, S 99-113
Inhalt: Objective: To contribute to the discussion about the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender (in)equality. Background: We focus on a core aspect of gender (in)equality in intimate relationships, namely couples’ division of housework and childcare, and whether this has changed during the Corona crisis. Method: Our descriptive analysis is based on pre-release data from the German Family Panel (pairfam; Wave 12) and its supplementary Corona web-survey (n=3,108). Results: We observe no fundamental changes in established aggregate-level patterns of couples’ division of labor, but some shift towards the extremes ('traditional' and 'role reversal') of the distribution. Regarding changes within couples, there is an almost equal split between those in which the female partner’s share in housework and childcare increased and those in which it decreased. Particularly in previously more egalitarian arrangements, a substantial proportion of women is now more likely to be primarily responsible for everything. If male partners increased their relative contribution to housework and childcare, they rarely moved beyond the threshold of an equal split. Changes in employment hours were associated with adaptations of men's, but not women's, relative contribution to domestic and family responsibilities. Conclusion: Our findings neither support the notion of a 'patriarchal pandemic', nor do they indicate that the Corona crisis might have fostered macro-level trends of gender convergence. We rather observe heterogeneous responses of couples to the 'Corona shock'.
Schlagwörter:Partnerschaft; partnership; Ehepaar; married couple; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Hausarbeit; housework; Kinderbetreuung; child care; gender-specific factors; soziale Ungleichheit; social inequality; Federal Republic of Germany; Covid-19 pandemic; Corona; German Family Panel (pairfam; Wave 12) and its supplementary COVID-19 web-survey
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
Gender-specific patterns and determinants of spillover between work and family: The role of partner support in dual-earner couples
Titelübersetzung:Geschlechtsspezifische Muster und Determinanten von Rollenkonflikten zwischen Arbeit und Familie: Der Einfluss partnerschaftlicher Unterstützung in Zweiverdienerpaaren
Autor/in:
Adams, Ayhan; Golsch, Katrin
Quelle: JFR - Journal of Family Research, 33 (2021) 1, S 72-97
Inhalt: Objective: The study investigates how partner support affects different types of work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts in dual-earner couples divided by gender and parenthood. Background: In Germany, as in other Western Countries, interrole conflicts between work and family increase, especially within dual-earner couples. Only few studies focused on the effects of partner support on different types of these conflicts. Method: We use longitudinal data deriving from waves 6 to 10 of the German Family Panel (pairfam) to uncover the extent to which the perception of having a supportive partner reduces time- and strain-based work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts. We conduct longitudinal structural equation models based on information of 1,252 persons, which are full-time employed and live in a dual-earner relationship. Results: Whereas for men partner support helps reduce stress-based work-to-family conflicts, for women perceived partner support is not beneficial. Within a subsample of parents, the experience of work-to-family conflicts is likely irrespective of partner support. Overall, women’s family-to-work conflicts appear to be reduced by their partners’ support whereas for men this detrimental effect only applies in the case of stress-based family-to-work conflicts. Conclusion: To sum up the findings, the differences for men and women in the effect of partner support on different types of interrole conflicts indicate a still existing impact of traditional gender norms that connect femininity to house work and masculinity to employed work.
Schlagwörter:Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Dual Career Couple; dual career couple; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Elternschaft; parenthood; gender-specific factors; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Ungleichheit; inequality; Federal Republic of Germany; partner support; work-family spillover; gender; Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam, release 9.1), wave 6 to 10
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
It's getting late today, please do the laundry: The influence of long-distance commuting on the division of domestic labor
Autor/in:
Stenpaß, Anna; Kley, Stefanie
Quelle: JFR - Journal of Family Research, 32 (2020) 2, S 274-306
Inhalt: The study examines the effect of long-distance commuting on the division of domestic labor in heterosexual couples. A long journey to work can affect other areas of life. Commuters often have lower life satisfaction and their intimate relationships may be impaired by mental stress. When looking at domestic labor the question arises of who is in charge of managing the household and childcare. Do women still adopt the "lion's share of housework" or take over the "second shift" if they spend part of the day on long commutes to work and back home? A long commute is defined as a journey to work of at least 45 minutes, daily or several times a week. We present the results of pooled regression analysis and fixed effects regressions conducted on data from the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) for the years 2013, 2015, and 2016. The pooled analysis suggests a moderate association between a woman’s long commute and her partner's engagement in housework and childcare, especially when she commutes daily. Instead of living 'reversed roles', the partners share such tasks. However, when the association between a woman's long commute and her partner's engagement in childcare is estimated exclusively with fixed regression, it remains significant. If the man is a long-distance commuter, most often his partner is solely responsible for all household tasks. Relative labor market position and income distribution within the couples, as well as adherence to gender roles explain the effects of long-distance commuting on labor division.
Schlagwörter:Hausarbeit; housework; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Partnerschaft; partnership; Pendler; commuter; Arbeitsweg; way to work; psychische Belastung; psychological stress; Lebenszufriedenheit; satisfaction with life; gender-specific factors; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Doing Gender; doing gender; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Federal Republic of Germany; gender ideology; long-distance commuting; job-related spatial mobility; bargaining theory; Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) (2013, 2015, 2016)
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
Quelle: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales; IZA Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH; Berlin (Forschungsbericht / Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales, FB574), 2020. 36 S
Inhalt: Die mit der COVID-19-Pandemie verbundene schwere wirtschaftliche Rezession bringt bei Frauen und Männern unterschiedliche Beschäftigungs- und Einkommensrisiken mit sich und könnte sich damit auf die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter auswirken. So sind Frauen einerseits in einigen systemrelevanten Bereichen, wie etwa Pflege und Erziehung, besonders stark vertreten. Andererseits sind sie überdurchschnittlich oft in einigen von den kontaktbeschränkenden Maßnahmen besonders betroffenen Wirtschaftsbereichen, wie etwa im Gastgewerbe, tätig. In vielen Konstellationen musste zudem aufgrund der zumindest zeitweisen Schließung von Kitas und Schulen die Verteilung von Erwerbs- und Sorgearbeit zwischen Frauen und Männern neu ausgehandelt werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund beleuchtet diese Kurzexpertise die gleichstellungspolitisch relevanten Veränderungen in Deutschland, die sich im bisherigen Verlauf der COVID-19-Pandemie am Arbeitsmarkt abzeichnen, sowie die sozialpolitischen Maßnahmen zur Abfederung der entstandenen Problemlagen unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Gleichstellung. Davon ausgehend werden konkrete Handlungsansätze erörtert, mit denen potenziell nachhaltigen Rückschritten bei Gleichstellungszielen durch Pandemiefolgen an den Arbeitsmärkten und in den Familien entgegengearbeitet werden könnte, oder die vorbeugend für eine gleichmäßigere Verteilung wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Risiken in künftigen Krisensituationen sorgen könnten.
Schlagwörter:Epidemie; epidemic; Familiensituation; family situation; Erwerbsbeteiligung; labor force participation; gender-specific factors; Gleichstellung; affirmative action; Federal Republic of Germany; Erwerbsarbeit; gainful work; Familienarbeit; family work; Sozialpolitik; social policy; COVID-19; Coronavirus
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Arbeitsmarktforschung, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung