Patterns of Sexual Division of Labor in the Household :

An Application of Multiple Indicator Model

抄録

     A causal model of domestic task sharing among married couples was proposed with power, relative resources, time availability, and ideology as the main predictor variables. The model was then examined using a large American sample (N=3649) and multiple indicator model with the LISREL program. Confirmatory factor analysis led us to eliminate some indicators which have loadings on both endogenous and exogenous dimensions. The structural analysis utilizing the LISREL indicated that the theoretical model proposed here was generally valid but some new causal paths must be added. Findings showed us that the husband's relative share in housework decreases when he works full-time, earns more money, holds a traditional sex-role orientation, and gets less satisfaction from performing household tasks. His share also decreases when his wife does not work, holds a traditional sex-role orientation, and gets more satisfaction from doing housework. In addition, the husband does relatively more housework when he is less powerful in the relationship with his wife. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to check the effect of arbitrarily fixed factor loadings of single indicators and it proved that the model was quite stable among combinations of differently fixed indicator loadings on unmeasured dimensions. Although explanations based on the relative resources principle have been the most common in this topic, other factors such as the power relationship and sex-role orientations must be considered in a more plausible theoretical model of domestic task sharing within a family.