Most adult women in United States today work outside the home. And the majority of men and women believe that men and women live together, household task should be shared by men and women. But what really happens?
When asked who does the household chores, 41% off all women report that they do, another 41% say they do a lot and they husbands help some, 15% report the chores being evenly divided, and 2% say the husbands do more. Clearly, there is a gap between deciding that things should be equal and the reality of who, in the facts, gets things done.
However, it must be noted that in families where both spouses are employed among husbands, 24% say the wife does nearly all the work around the house, 42% report that the wife does most of it the husband help some, 28% report that the work is evenly divided, and 5% that the husbands does more around the house. Greater sharing within couple also seen more among young married families under 30 years of age and among those who are the collage-educated.
Sharing Money
When both spouses work, 79% of both men and women that both salaries are combined and used for all household expenses, personal expenses, and savings. Only 15% of husbands whose wives work say that the spouses keep their money separated after both contribute a part of their salaries or household and living expenses and savings. Obviously, when it comes to money, sharing of both salaries and expenses has become the norm.
Beyond Sharing: Exchanging Roles
One possible way for men and women to share family responsibilities is for people to change roles: the men would stay home and the women would become the breadwinners of the family. This possibility has been surveyed since 1970. Back then, 63% said they would have respect for a husband stayed home than for one who had a job outside the home, only 8% would respect him more, and 15% said it make very little difference. By 1980 things had begun to change. A much lower 41% said they would respect the stay-at-home husband less, 6% more, but 42% about the same. Now only 25% say they would respect a man who stayed home to do household chores less, 12% more, and a big 50% say the same.
Thus the number who say they would think less of a husband exchanges roles with his wife and stay home take care of the household has declined from 63% to 25% over a generation’s time. What is more, the younger people are and the money they have, the less likely they are to say they will respect a stay-at-home husband less.
The Future: Teenagers on Sharing Chores
Attitudes toward change are usually formed early in life or no later than the teens. Therefore, it is significant to find that teenagers today expect to share almost all house hold and child-rearing chores in married life.
Here is what they say about sharing chores:
- On vacuuming the house, only 40% off all teenagers think this should be the responsibility of the wife, compared with 38% who say both do it, and 20% who believes it doesn’t matter who does it. The point is that a 60%-40% majority does not think it is the duty of the wife to vacuum the house.
- On mopping the house, an even 50% think that it is a woman’s chore only, but en equal 50% do not think so.
- On preparing meals, 39% of teenagers think this id wife’s responsibility, but a higher 46% see cooking as a shared future responsibility, 2% see it as primary a man’s task, and the remaining 13% say it doesn’t matter.
- On washing dishes, in the past generally only a task for women, no more than 54% of teenagers believe this is a wife task and 46%, nearly as many, do not agree that this task should only be done by women.
- On washing car, traditionally a man’s duty, now only 40% of all teenagers think the husband should do it. Thirty-nine percent think the chore should be equally shared (49% of teenage girl feel this way), 2% think the women should do it, and the rest say it doesn’t matter.
- On moving the lawn almost always the man’s job around the house, a large 64% still agree with tradition and say let the husband do it. But 15% of the young men and much higher 43% of the young women simply don’t agree with that. It is significant that teenage girl lead the way traditional men’s chores should now be shared by women.
Caring for Young Children
On caring for young children, the teenage vies is that chores should be shared all the way:
- 91% of all teenagers believe that playing with children should be an equal responsibility of husbands and wives.
- 71% believe that feeding babies and young children should be an equal husbands and wives.
- 64% of all teens believe that changing diapers should be shared all the way, although a much higher 78% of teenage girls think this, compared with a lower 50% of teenage boys.
- 87% believe that disciplining young children should be a responsibility shared between men and women.
- 56% believe that bathing a baby should be the equal and mint responsibility o men and women.
- 73% think that putting baby to bed should be done just as often by husbands and wives.
- 68% of all teenagers believe that putting a young child to bed must be shared responsibility of both spouses in a good marriage.
Observation
It seems that the public believe is very difficult for a young mother to work, take care of the household, and be primarily responsible for raising children. There simply is not enough to do it all. And there is no doubt that most women in the future are going to choose the work, marry, and be mothers. Therefore, people conclude, tradition must change and male spouses must do many things that their fathers and grandfathers would not have agreed to do.
Women, especially young women, are determined to see the change come about. Even more interesting is that males, particularly teenage boys, agree with the women.
The significance of this is that right in the home, daily, the reality of equality between the sexes is being created. The newfound sharing is not simply something that say people without doing. It is a real revolution.
Source: Choice Reading, 1996 p. 97
When asked who does the household chores, 41% off all women report that they do, another 41% say they do a lot and they husbands help some, 15% report the chores being evenly divided, and 2% say the husbands do more. Clearly, there is a gap between deciding that things should be equal and the reality of who, in the facts, gets things done.
However, it must be noted that in families where both spouses are employed among husbands, 24% say the wife does nearly all the work around the house, 42% report that the wife does most of it the husband help some, 28% report that the work is evenly divided, and 5% that the husbands does more around the house. Greater sharing within couple also seen more among young married families under 30 years of age and among those who are the collage-educated.
Sharing Money
When both spouses work, 79% of both men and women that both salaries are combined and used for all household expenses, personal expenses, and savings. Only 15% of husbands whose wives work say that the spouses keep their money separated after both contribute a part of their salaries or household and living expenses and savings. Obviously, when it comes to money, sharing of both salaries and expenses has become the norm.
Beyond Sharing: Exchanging Roles
One possible way for men and women to share family responsibilities is for people to change roles: the men would stay home and the women would become the breadwinners of the family. This possibility has been surveyed since 1970. Back then, 63% said they would have respect for a husband stayed home than for one who had a job outside the home, only 8% would respect him more, and 15% said it make very little difference. By 1980 things had begun to change. A much lower 41% said they would respect the stay-at-home husband less, 6% more, but 42% about the same. Now only 25% say they would respect a man who stayed home to do household chores less, 12% more, and a big 50% say the same.
Thus the number who say they would think less of a husband exchanges roles with his wife and stay home take care of the household has declined from 63% to 25% over a generation’s time. What is more, the younger people are and the money they have, the less likely they are to say they will respect a stay-at-home husband less.
The Future: Teenagers on Sharing Chores
Attitudes toward change are usually formed early in life or no later than the teens. Therefore, it is significant to find that teenagers today expect to share almost all house hold and child-rearing chores in married life.
Here is what they say about sharing chores:
- On vacuuming the house, only 40% off all teenagers think this should be the responsibility of the wife, compared with 38% who say both do it, and 20% who believes it doesn’t matter who does it. The point is that a 60%-40% majority does not think it is the duty of the wife to vacuum the house.
- On mopping the house, an even 50% think that it is a woman’s chore only, but en equal 50% do not think so.
- On preparing meals, 39% of teenagers think this id wife’s responsibility, but a higher 46% see cooking as a shared future responsibility, 2% see it as primary a man’s task, and the remaining 13% say it doesn’t matter.
- On washing dishes, in the past generally only a task for women, no more than 54% of teenagers believe this is a wife task and 46%, nearly as many, do not agree that this task should only be done by women.
- On washing car, traditionally a man’s duty, now only 40% of all teenagers think the husband should do it. Thirty-nine percent think the chore should be equally shared (49% of teenage girl feel this way), 2% think the women should do it, and the rest say it doesn’t matter.
- On moving the lawn almost always the man’s job around the house, a large 64% still agree with tradition and say let the husband do it. But 15% of the young men and much higher 43% of the young women simply don’t agree with that. It is significant that teenage girl lead the way traditional men’s chores should now be shared by women.
Caring for Young Children
On caring for young children, the teenage vies is that chores should be shared all the way:
- 91% of all teenagers believe that playing with children should be an equal responsibility of husbands and wives.
- 71% believe that feeding babies and young children should be an equal husbands and wives.
- 64% of all teens believe that changing diapers should be shared all the way, although a much higher 78% of teenage girls think this, compared with a lower 50% of teenage boys.
- 87% believe that disciplining young children should be a responsibility shared between men and women.
- 56% believe that bathing a baby should be the equal and mint responsibility o men and women.
- 73% think that putting baby to bed should be done just as often by husbands and wives.
- 68% of all teenagers believe that putting a young child to bed must be shared responsibility of both spouses in a good marriage.
Observation
It seems that the public believe is very difficult for a young mother to work, take care of the household, and be primarily responsible for raising children. There simply is not enough to do it all. And there is no doubt that most women in the future are going to choose the work, marry, and be mothers. Therefore, people conclude, tradition must change and male spouses must do many things that their fathers and grandfathers would not have agreed to do.
Women, especially young women, are determined to see the change come about. Even more interesting is that males, particularly teenage boys, agree with the women.
The significance of this is that right in the home, daily, the reality of equality between the sexes is being created. The newfound sharing is not simply something that say people without doing. It is a real revolution.
Source: Choice Reading, 1996 p. 97
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