Gender Relations between Husbands and Wives regarding Consciousness and Time Use on Housework Based on a Time Use

Study of Working Couples in Setagaya, Tokyo, in 1995

Abstract

The time use survey we conducted in 1995 shows that more husbands participated in housework than in 1990; the increase was especially notable among those with full-time working wives. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the gender relations between husbands and wives regarding housework in order to clarify stipulating factors of housework. Time diaries and questionnaire on housework were analyzed, and the results are as follows :
Most wives did food-related housework, and unemployed wives considered housework as their job. Those husbands who did housework did not always regard it their part of the job to engage in housework. The expectation of wives towards their husbands was high on participation in child-care, and husbands' participation was equally high. On the other hand, the expectation of husbands towards their wives was mainly on meal preparation and clothing care. Part-time employed wives generally expected their husbands to take part in housework, but their husbands did not seem to respond to the expectation; they seemed to depend on the other members of the family to do housework. In other words, the traditional gender roles were played in those households with part-time working wives. It was noted that, in spite of the hesitation on the part of unemployed wives for the other members of the family to take part in housework, those wives were much less hesitant to socialization through meal preparation with other wives as well as to meals outside their households. Part-time employed wives were the most hesitant to both socialization and outside meals.
The stipulating factors of housework were the length of paid working hours, the consciousness of gender roles, and the household skills.