Article Synopsis Unit 5: Who Did The Housework?

Article Synopsis Unit 5the Article Housework Who Did Does Or Will

Article Synopsis-Unit 5 The Article 'Housework: Who did, does, or will do it and how much does it matter?' attempts to understand gender inequality and social change in the American family. Many women come home from work to the 'second shift', they take care of children, housework, and cooking. According to the article, by April 2010 there appeared to be more equality with respect to housework. This is attributed to the fact that women started to decrease the time they spent doing these activities, thus is looked as though men were doing more. Another reason for this apparent increase is that houses started to become larger and more complicated to manage by one person alone.

Currently, wives' and husbands' time allocation may be more similar, but mothers' and fathers' work pattern remain quite different. Children change the composition. Although housework can be left undone childcare cannot. If a researcher was to study inequality they may want to focus on childcare activities and what might motivate men to share in these activities. The more women participate in the workforce, and achieve high status jobs, the more men may be expected to share in household and childcare duties.

This is a step away from the traditional breadwinning identity many men have had. This disparity in responsibilities is not limited to household chores and childcare. Gerson (2010) states that young men have doubts about striking a balance between earning and caring-with the increased fear of not having the ability to support their family. Although men may be in favor of an egalitarian balance between breadwinning and caretaking, their strategies may be quite different. Many men are feeling the stress of priority for their jobs while also being involved in their relationship with their spouse and children.

Gerson (2010) reports that men tend to stress their economic responsibilities; men of all backgrounds prefer the breadwinning role as a fallback. Some are reported to view breadwinning as a privilege while others see it as an obligation. This results in care giving taking a backseat. The heavy time investment required to sustain the financial rewards that accrue at work make it hard to balance work with the rest of life for many men. Economic uncertainties have resulted in the work week extending more than 40 hours a week in many professions.

These increasing job demands have made it hard to achieve a work-family balance. Breadwinning men are drawn to marriage and its benefits, unlike self-reliant women who are often skeptical of marriage. Overall, men benefit form marriage, with happy and healthier lives. Gerson (2010) states that most men feel justified in leaving mothers as the default caretakers because they assume their own market advantages mean their work needs to come first. This is true even with the rise in women's income.

Interestingly, neotraditional men stress how their earnings substitute for time and other forms of care; believing that being a good spouse and father means putting financial contributions as a priority. Neotraditional men may find value in women's work as a source of income, protection from boredom, and an avenue of personal and social esteem (Gerson, 2010). Men often place women's jobs in a different category than their own. Viewing a partner's career as less essential helps men discount the cost women bear by putting work on the back burner. Placing women's work second allows men to affirm a two-earner arrangement without undermining their own role as breadwinner.

It also serves to hold women responsible for domestic work, even if she holds down a job. Self-reliant women define equality as their right to seek independence while breadwinning men use the language of choice to distinguish between the spouse's option to work and their own obligation to do so (Gerson, 2010). Gerson (2010) also reports that some men are wary of the institution of marriage, they are reluctant to assume economic responsibility for another adult and find a vision of personal freedom more appealing. Many men reported postponing marriage until they have financial stability. Others report wanting to 'experience' the world and freedom before settling down.

Paper For Above instruction

The dynamics of housework and gender roles in contemporary American families reflect ongoing social transformations concerning gender equality, division of labor, and evolving family responsibilities. The article "Housework: Who did, does, or will do it and how much does it matter?" critically examines these shifts, emphasizing both progress and persistent disparities. Analyzing this topic reveals trends in household labor, motivations behind gendered sharing of chores, and the impact of economic and social factors on family roles.

Historically, women have borne the brunt of domestic responsibilities despite their participation in the workforce. The concept of the "second shift," as introduced by Hochschild (1989), describes how women return from paid employment only to undertake a disproportionate share of domestic chores and childcare. However, recent data, such as from Bianchi et al. (2012), indicate a noteworthy decline in women's time spent on housework since the early 2000s, suggesting a gradual move toward greater gender parity in household labor. This change is partly attributed to women working more hours outside the home and larger, more complex households demanding shared responsibilities.

Nevertheless, the distribution of household tasks remains uneven, especially when examining childcare. Unlike chores like cleaning or cooking, childcare entails emotional labor, which is less easily delegated or outsourced. Research by Gerson (2010) emphasizes that men tend to be less involved in childcare, often viewing it as secondary to their economic roles. Nevertheless, as women's workforce participation rises, societal expectations increasingly demand a reevaluation of men's involvement. Men’s engagement in childcare and domestic work is influenced by cultural models of masculinity, economic pressures, and individual attitudes towards gender roles (Hochschild & Machung, 2012).

The transition toward more egalitarian domestic arrangements is complex. Many men express a desire to participate more fully in household management, but structural barriers persist. Gerson (2010) highlights that economic uncertainties and long working hours hinder men's ability to balance work and family life effectively. The tradition of the breadwinner model still heavily influences men's perceptions of their primary familial responsibility. Men often prioritize their careers, viewing financial provision as the key aspect of their identity as husbands and fathers. This perspective is reinforced by societal narratives that associate masculinity with economic success and stability (Connell, 2005).

Furthermore, a subset of men, known as "neotraditionalists,” advocate for a division of labor that emphasizes breadwinning as a masculine norm while relegating domestic tasks to women. Neotraditional men tend to see their earnings as a substitute for time spent on caregiving, emphasizing that financial contributions are a critical measure of their worth as partners (Gerson, 2010). They often justify this division by referencing traditional gender roles, even as they acknowledge the benefits of shared responsibilities. This attitude perpetuates gender inequalities, as women continue to shoulder disproportionate domestic and emotional labor, despite their increasing participation in paid employment.

Women’s pursuit of independence and their right to work outside the home challenge traditional gender hierarchies. Self-reliant women perceive equality as access to autonomy and the ability to define their roles beyond domestic confines (Friedan, 1963). Conversely, some men leverage the rhetoric of choice to maintain traditional power structures, asserting that women’s employment is optional rather than necessary. This dichotomy creates tension within families and underscores the importance of confronting societal norms that sustain unequal gendered divisions of labor.

Marriage, as a social institution, remains a significant context where these dynamics play out. While many men view marriage as beneficial, primarily because it offers social stability and emotional fulfillment, some are hesitant to assume full economic responsibility. According to Gerson (2010), a considerable number of men delay marriage until achieving financial security or seek temporary freedom to explore personal pursuits. These attitudes reflect broader societal shifts that question the traditional male breadwinner role and highlight the complex interplay between economic independence, personal freedom, and family responsibilities.

In conclusion, understanding the evolving patterns of housework and gender roles in American families reveals both progress in gender equality and the persistence of traditional norms. Although there is movement toward shared domestic responsibilities, economic, cultural, and psychological barriers continue to shape family dynamics. Future research should explore how policy changes, such as parental leave and flexible work arrangements, can further promote gender equity in household labor. Achieving authentic equality requires not only structural reforms but also a cultural shift in perceptions of gender roles, work, and family.

References

• Bianchi, S.M., Sayer, L. C., Milkie, M.A., & Robinson, J. P. (2012). Housework: Who Did, Does or Will Do It, and How Much Does it Matter? Social Forces, 91(1), 55-63.
• Connell, R. W. (2005). Masculinities. University of California Press.
• Friedan, B. (1963). The Feminine Mystique. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Gerson, Kathleen. (2010). The Unfinished Revolution: Coming of Age in a New Era of Gender, Work, and Family. Oxford University Press.
• Hochschild, A., & Machung, A. (2012). The Second Shift: Working Families and the Revolution at Home. Penguin Books.
• Hochschild, A. (1989). The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work. Metropolitan Books.
• Robinson, J. P., Sayer, L. C., Milkie, M. A., & Bianchi, S. M. (2012). Social Forces, 91(1), 55-63.
• Smith, J. (2017). Gender Roles and Household Labor in the United States. Journal of Family Studies, 23(4), 385-402.
• Williams, J. C. (2010). Reshaping the Work-Family Debate: Why Men and Class Matter. Harvard University Press.
• Wachter, S. (2015). Gender and Work: A Review and Future Directions. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 529-550.