Household Labor

Abstract

Household labor largely remains “women's work” and the responsibility of women, regardless of women's increased involvement in the paid workforce. Men in the early twenty-first century are increasingly involved in direct interaction with and care of their children, and perform some household duties such as cleaning, cooking, and so on, as well as “male tasks” such as repairs and outdoor work. Nonetheless, women are often held responsible for the bulk of housework, money work, child care, eldercare, care for disabled family members, and emotional work. Men are generally able to choose when they perform household labor, as well as which tasks and to what extent they will perform these duties.