Who is doing housework?: attitudes and perspectives from women aged 40 - 55 years

Abstract

This study examines how women in employment have arranged their housework duties and the factors that influenced these arrangements. A review of research that has been undertaken in the area of women in the household and employed outside the home, examines theoretical discussions regarding the role of women in our society and research and studies looking at women, housework and outside employment. My research is based on women's lives and experiences. It has been carried out using feminist research principles, using a qualitative interviewing process. As wives and mothers, seven married pakeha women, between the ages of 40 and 55 shared their perspectives, with the researcher, on their lives as workers in employment outside the home. The research examines how and why household work is allocated between couples and how "roles" within the household have affected the decisions and choices these women have made in their lives. The results indicated that women themselves and their husbands, see the women being responsible for housework. Household tasks still appear to be organised along "traditional" gender roles. Women became increasingly more assertive, over the course of their marriage, in expressing their desire and need for more assistance with household tasks. This has resulted in an increase in the husband's participation in housework. However husbands appear to be able to choose what and how many household tasks they will perform.