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
Educational attainment and gender differences in work-life balance for couples across Europe: a contextual perspective
Autor/in:
Kromydas, Theocharis
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 4, S 8-22
Inhalt: The current article aims to explain the interrelationships between the educational attainment of individuals living in households with heterosexual partners, their work–life balance (WLB) and the macro-economic climate of the country they live in, using data from the European Social Survey. WLB is a complex concept, as it is not only determined by factors related to someone’s employment or domestic work and childcare responsibilities, but also by decisions informed by personal experiences and circumstances, subjective perceptions and preferences. Moreover, in households with cohabiting partners, this decision-making process involves certain compromises where financial incentives, interests, gender and power dynamics play an important role. Since educational attainment is positively related to labour market outcomes, such as employment and wages, while at the same time more women are participating in education and the labour market, the gender conflict on the division of work and time within households intensifies and traditional gender roles are challenged. WLB is at the heart of this conflict operating as a mechanism through which division of work and time is reconciled on the individual and household level. Results from the current article reveal great heterogeneity between the 17 European countries examined. Perhaps surprisingly, educational attainment can have a detrimental effect on the WLB of spouses and cohabiting partners, especially for women whose level of WLB seems also more sensitive to fluctuations of the macro-economic climate of the country they live in. However, there is an indication that when an economy goes into recession, higher education has a cushioning effect on female’s WLB compared to relatively better economic times.
Work-Family Arrangement and Conflict: Do Individual Gender Role Attitudes and National Gender Culture Matter?
Autor/in:
Bornatici, Christina; Heers, Marieke
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 4, S 46-60
Inhalt: This article examines the relationship between couples' work-family arrangement and individuals' perceived work–family conflict (WFC), considering individuals’ attitudes towards gender roles and national gender culture in 37 countries (N = 15,114). Previous research has shown that WFC depends on work and family demands and has mostly accounted for absolute time spent in paid and domestic work. We hypothesize that WFC depends on couples' work-family arrangement in terms of time spent in paid, domestic and care work. We further expect that the relationship between couples' work-family arrangement and WFC depends on individuals' gender attitudes and national gender culture. To test these assumptions, we use the ISSP-2012 data and apply multilevel linear regression analyses. The findings indicate that an egalitarian work-family arrangement - that is, sharing paid, domestic and care work equally with one's partner - is associated with lower levels of WFC. Moreover, individuals with egalitarian gender attitudes and an egalitarian work-family arrangement experience less WFC than individuals with inconsistent attitudes and behaviours. Individuals with consistent traditional attitudes and behaviours experience the most conflict. Finally, a more egalitarian gender culture relates to less WFC. Cross-level interactions indicate that the relationship between work-family arrangement and WFC is not mediated by countries' gender culture.
Schlagwörter:Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; gender-specific factors; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Hausarbeit; housework; Betreuung; care; allein erziehender Elternteil; single parent; soziale Ungleichheit; social inequality; kulturelle Faktoren; cultural factors; internationaler Vergleich; international comparison; care work; couple dynamics; gender culture; gender role; work–family arrangement; work–family conflict; ISSP 2012
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
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
Left Behind? Migration Stories of Two Women in Rural China
Autor/in:
Fan, C. Cindy; Chen, Chen
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 2, S 47-57
Inhalt: Women being left behind in the countryside by husbands who migrate to work has been a common phenomenon in China. On the other hand, over time, rural women’s participation in migration has increased precipitously, many doing so after their children are older, and those of a younger generation tend to start migrant work soon after finishing school. Although these women may no longer be left behind physically, their work, mobility, circularity, and frequency of return continue to be governed by deep-rooted gender ideology that defines their role primarily as caregivers. Through the biographical stories of two rural women in Anhui, this article shows that traditional gender norms persist across generations. Yingyue is of an older generation and provided care to her husband, children, and later grandchildren when she was left behind, when she participated in migration, and when she returned to her village. Shuang is 30 years younger and aspires to urban lifestyle such as living in apartments and using daycare for her young children. Yet, like Yingyue, Shuang’s priority is caregiving. Her decisions, which are in tandem with her parents-in-law, highlight how Chinese families stick together as a safety net. Her desire to earn wages, an activity much constrained by her caregiving responsibility to two young children, illustrates a strong connection between income-generation ability and identity among women of the younger generation. These two stories underscore the importance of examining how women are left behind not only physically but in their access to opportunities such as education and income-generating activity.
Schlagwörter:China; China; ländlicher Raum; rural area; Wanderarbeitnehmer; migrant worker; woman; Betreuung; care; gender-specific factors; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; soziale Ungleichheit; social inequality; Ostasien; Far East; caregiving; left behind; rural-urban migration
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
The transition to parenthood in the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland
Autor/in:
Zimmermann, Regula; LeGoff, Jean-Marie
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 4, S 35-45
Inhalt: After the first transition to parenthood, most couples adopt a gendered labor division, where mothers become main caregivers and fathers breadwinners of the family. By comparing two distinct language regions within one country, the present article explores how parents’ gendered labor division comes into existence and what role gendered culture and social policy play. The analysis draws on in-depth interviews with 23 German speaking and 73 French speaking participants from Switzerland. The results reveal that French speaking women and men presume an egalitarian labor division as parents. In German speaking regions, however, participants anticipate that mothers will become the main caregivers and fathers the breadwinners. It is shown that the labor market structure, which is in line with the male breadwinner norm, contributes to men's full-time employment, whereas mothers' labor market insertion is influenced by the acceptance of non-parental childcare and to a lesser extent by the offer of childcare facilities. Further, mothers experience more time conflicts than fathers, and the less mothers’ paid work is accepted, the more they suffer from feelings of guilt when being employed.
Schlagwörter:Schweiz; Switzerland; Familienpolitik; family policy; gender; Ungleichheit; inequality; Geschlechterverhältnis; gender relations; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Elternschaft; parenthood
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
Zeit-Nischen oder Familienzeit? Väter und der Umgang mit den Widersprüchen flexibler Arbeitsformen
Titelübersetzung:Time niches or family time? How fathers deal with the contradictions inherent in flexible working arrangements
Autor/in:
Liebig, Brigitte; Peitz, Martina
Quelle: GENDER - Zeitschrift für Geschlecht, Kultur und Gesellschaft, 10 (2018) 1, S 151-166
Inhalt: Flexible Arbeitsmodelle gewinnen heute an Bedeutung - ebenso wie die Vorstellung einer "involvierten" Vaterschaft. Hinsichtlich der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie erweisen sich flexible Formen der Arbeit für Väter jedoch als ambivalent: Einerseits bieten sie Vätern neue Spielräume, andererseits stehen sie für problematische Trends der Arbeitsverdichtung, denen insbesondere Männer aufgrund traditioneller Arbeitsnormen ausgeliefert sind. Dieser Beitrag geht der Frage nach, wie Väter die Widersprüche flexibler Arbeitsmodelle im Kontext von Vereinbarkeitsansprüchen handhaben. Empirische Grundlage bilden problemzentrierte Interviews mit 32 Vätern aus familienfreundlichen Unternehmen und Verwaltungen der Schweiz. Die Resultate zeigen, dass flexible Arbeitsmodelle Vaterschaftspraxen nur auf symbolischer Ebene verändern, wenn sie von traditionellen Vorstellungen von Männlichkeit und Familie begleitet sind. Erst verknüpft mit partnerschaftlich-egalitären Vorstellungen und unterstützt von einer Arbeitskultur, welche der Sorgeverantwortung von Vätern ausdrücklich Rechnung trägt, können flexible Arbeitsformen auch bei Vätern zu einem Mehr an Familienzeit im Sinne einer gleichberechtigt(er)en Teilhabe an der Kindererziehung führen.
Inhalt: Flexible working arrangements are gaining importance today, as is the idea of "involved" fatherhood. However, flexible forms of work are ambivalent when it comes to fathers’ ability to reconcile work and family life: On the one hand, they offer fathers new opportunities; on the other hand, they represent problematic trends as regards work intensification, to which men in particular are exposed due to traditional norms at the workplace. This article examines how fathers deal with the contradictions inherent in flexible working arrangements, and in the context of claims about reconciling family life and work. The analysis starts from problem-centred interviews with 32 fathers in family-friendly businesses and public administrations in Switzerland. The results show that flexible working models transform fatherhood practices only superficially if they are framed by traditional notions of masculinity and family. It is only in combination with egalitarian ideas and supported by a working culture, which values fathers’ care responsibilities that flexible forms of work can help increase fathers’ family time in the sense of leading to their equal involvement in parenting.
Schlagwörter:Vaterschaft; fatherhood; Arbeitsorganisation; work organization; Arbeitszeitflexibilität; working time flexibility; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Familienarbeit; family work; gender-specific factors; Rollenverständnis; role conception; Arbeitskultur; work culture; Schweiz; Switzerland; flexible Arbeitsmodelle; Vereinbarkeit; Zeitnormen; Sorgearbeit
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
Caring, Cooking, Cleaning - repräsentative Zeitverwendungsmuster von Eltern in Paarbeziehungen
Titelübersetzung:Caring, cooking, cleaning - representative time use patterns in two-parent households
Autor/in:
Klünder, Nina; Meier-Gräwe, Uta
Quelle: Zeitschrift für Familienforschung, 30 (2018) 1, S 9-28
Inhalt: Vor dem Hintergrund der steigenden Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern geht dieser Beitrag der Frage nach, wie Eltern in Paarbeziehungen die Haushaltsbereiche Betreuung, Beköstigung sowie Wohnungs- und Wäschereinigung untereinander aufteilen. Dazu werden drei Paartypen mit unterschiedlichem Erwerbsumfang gebildet: Zweiverdiener-Paare, Paare mit weiblichem Zuverdienst sowie Paare mit männlichem Familienernährer. Deren Zeitverwendung für die genannten Tätigkeiten wird mithilfe der repräsentativen Zeitverwendungserhebung 2012/2013 und 2001/2002 sekundäranalytisch untersucht. Die Analyse zeigt, dass vollzeiterwerbstätige Mütter täglich am wenigsten Zeit für die drei genannten Arbeitsbereiche im Haushalt aufwenden, nicht erwerbstätige Mütter hingegen am meisten. Innerhalb einer Dekade - von 2001/2002 bis 2012/2013 - haben alle untersuchten Mütter ihre Zeitverwendung für hauswirtschaftliche Tätigkeitsfelder reduziert, zeitgleich nehmen sich Eltern 2012/2013 deutlich mehr Zeit für Betreuungsaufgaben. Unabhängig des Erwerbsumfangs der Mutter ist die Arbeit des Alltags nach wie vor, besonders werktags, weiblich konnotiert und somit geschlechtsdifferenzierend aufgeteilt. Nur am Wochenende zeigt sich in Paaren mit erwerbstätiger Mutter bei der Betreuung eine annährend egalitäre Arbeitsteilung.
Inhalt: As a result of the increasing labor force participation of mothers, this article questions how twoparent households divide the housework activities of caring, cooking and cleaning. Therefore three types of couples with different labor force participations were formed: Dual-earner couples, couples with additional female income and malebreadwinner couples. The time use for the mentioned activities was examined with a secondary analysis based on the German representative time use surveys of 2012/2013 and 2001/2002. The analysis showed that fulltime mothers spent the lowest amount of time for caring, cooking and cleaning. However, unemployed mothers spent the most time for these activities. Within a decade - from 2001/2002 to 2012/2013 - all mothers have reduced their time spent on household activities. Meanwhile, all parents in 2012/2013 take noticeably more time for child care. Regardless of the mother’s labor force participation, mothers still spent more time for caring, cooking and cleaning, especially on weekdays. Additionally, the everyday housework is divided by gender. Only on weekends, couples with employed mothers shared the care-work almost egalitarian.
Schlagwörter:Zeitverwendung; time budgeting; Elternschaft; parenthood; Erwerbsbeteiligung; labor force participation; Betreuung; care; Hausarbeit; housework; Familienarbeit; family work; Zeitaufwand; time expenditure; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; gender-specific factors; Erwerbsphase; working life; Mutter; mother; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Federal Republic of Germany
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
"Involvierte" Väter zwischen Beruf und Familie: zur Re/Produktion von Männlichkeiten in paarinternen Aushandlungen
Titelübersetzung:Involved fathers between work and family life: re/production of masculinity in negotiations within couples
Autor/in:
Peukert, Almut
Quelle: Zeitschrift für Familienforschung, 29 (2017) 1, S 90-113
Inhalt: "Ausgehend von der in der Männlichkeitsforschung diskutierten These, 'involvierte' Väterlichkeit stehe im Widerspruch zum Leitbild erwerbszentrierter hegemonialer Männlichkeit, werden im vorliegenden Beitrag Kontinuitäten und Wandel in der Relationierung von Erwerbs- und Familienarbeit bei Vätern untersucht. Mit dem interaktionstheoretischen Ansatz zu 'un/doing masculinity' liegt der Fokus auf der Her- und Darstellung von Geschlechterdifferenzen sowie der hierarchisierenden Abgrenzung zu Weiblichkeiten und nicht-hegemonialer Männlichkeiten im Paarkontext. Anhand von 27 qualitativen Paar- und Einzelinterviews werden - entlang der Dimensionen Berufs-/Karrierekonzept, finanzielle Versorgung der Familie und Elternzeitarrangement - drei Re/Produktionsformen erwerbszentrierter hegemonialer Männlichkeit rekonstruiert und diskutiert. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass die Re/Produktion von Männlichkeiten in paarinternen Aushandlungen zu Erwerbs- und Familienarbeit fragil, herausgefordert oder episodisch ausgesetzt wird. Dies impliziert, dass auch die Aushandlungen auf der Paarebene zur Relationierung von Erwerbs- und Familienarbeit, neben wohlfahrtsstaatlichen Rahmungen und Arbeitsorganisationen, signifikante un/gleichheitsrelevante Folgen haben." (Autorenreferat)
Inhalt: "Starting from the hypothesis discussed in research on masculinities and fathering that 'involved' fathering is incompatible with hegemonic masculinity, this paper examines continuity and change in interrelating work and family life by German fathers. Within the sociological frame of interaction theory on un/doing masculinity I focused on the production and presentation of gender differences and the hierarchizing demarcation against femininity and non-hegemonic masculinities within the couple. Based on 27 qualitative couples' and individual interviews, three forms of re/production of masculinity were constructed and discussed along the dimensions of vocational/career concepts, financial care of the family, and parental leave arrangements within the couple. The results show that the re/production of masculinities within negotiations of the couples regarding paid and family work are fragile, challenged, or episodically undone. This implies that in addition to welfare state policies and work organizations, the negotiations within the couple about their division of paid and unpaid work have significant consequences for the un/equality between the parents." (author's abstract)
Schlagwörter:Vaterschaft; fatherhood; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Vater; father; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Erwerbsarbeit; gainful work; Familienarbeit; family work; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; gender-specific factors; Männlichkeit; masculinity; Leitbild; example; Karriere; career; Dual Career Couple; dual career couple; Federal Republic of Germany; Väterforschung; Hegemoniale Männlichkeit; Aushandlungen; Paar
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie