Intergenerational continuation of household division of labour.

Abstract

This research aims to fill the gap in the current literature on intergenerational continuation of household division of labour by examining the nuances and meanings couples place on housework and childcare. It explores how gender intersects with household labour, through parental attitudes and behaviours and how it has influenced the perception, attitudes and eventual household division of my respondents. Drawing on in-depth interview data, I find that parents influence the gender ideologies of their children by being models to follow or change, delegating tasks and providing rewards and sanctions for participation. The intervening factors that emphasize on contexts account for the differences in division between the parental and respondents’ eventual allocation. Therefore, the (re)production of gender is dependent on the combination and contestations of these factors, which affect the gender role ideology that an individual holds, that determines the outcome of their eventual division.