Building a home together : a qualitative research on the division of housework among Chinese married couples in Singapore

Abstract

Despite the increase in female labour force participation in Singapore in recent years, many state policies continue to emphasise patriarchal values by attributing women to the domestic domain. Confucian patriarchal values also provide a guideline for role differentiation between Chinese couples in marital relationships. While prior research focused on the division of household chores in dual-income and single-income households, few have looked into the relationship between the years of marriage and housework sentiments. Analysing interviews and participant observations, this research compares the gender dynamics of housework between mature and young couples to provide insights into the differing arrangements, and gendered expectations between couples that are married for different periods of time.