Policy makers promoting gender equality should take into account the pervasive nature of gendered expectations for parents, even when they adopt nontraditional roles.
Noelle Chesley at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found in a recent study that mothers who work longer hours reduce the time they spend on workday childcare less than fathers who work longer hours do. Chesley studied data from the 2008-2012 American Time Use Survey.
Breadwinning mothers also do more housework and childcare on their days off than breadwinning fathers do. Indeed, on days off, breadwinning mothers do as much housework and childcare as at-home mothers do; breadwinning fathers do less of both than their at-home counterparts.
Meanwhile, at-home mothers do more housework and spend more time with their children than at-home fathers do, and the types of housework each does still tends to involve gender stereotypical male and female activities.
Nevertheless, the status quo is being disrupted. Evidence is growing that breadwinning mothers are starting to take their work and career planning more seriously and at-home fathers are doing more stereotypically female housework tasks than breadwinning fathers do, even on days off.
—
Previously published on childandfamilyblog.com.
—
Have you read the original anthology that was the catalyst for The Good Men Project? Buy here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
◊♦◊
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want to join our calls, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: istockphoto.com