Division of Labour at Home

This article discusses the conflicts that arise in the family when it comes to the division of labor among the sexes. The key concept in this article is household labor. The root cause of the conflicts between men and women when it comes to housework can be attributed to the changes in the social structure. To settle these conflicts, objective preventive strategies, intersubjective preventive strategies, subjective preventive strategies, objective acute strategies, intersubjective acute strategies, and subjective acute strategies should be employed.

DIVISION OF LABOUR AT HOME
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a) Reflection on points of interest in the reading(s)
Chapter seven effectively discusses the conflicts that arise in the family when it comes to the
division of labor among the sexes (Beck, Ulrich, and Elisabeth, 2001). Participation of men in
housework is always low despite the fact that most of the women are more economically active.
Research shows that women are against the idea of having unsupportive men when it comes to
housework activities. The conflicts between men and women when it comes to housework need
effective attention for them to be resolved effectively.
b) Explanation of a key concept/theory in the set reading(s)
The key concept in this article is household labor. The concept of household labor has various
meanings based on the feminist perspective and economic exchange model. The two models,
however, don’t come to an agreement as to why there is a widening gender gap when it comes to
housework activities (Baxter, 2002).
c) Comparison/contrast of key points in the readings
The root cause of the conflicts between men and women when it comes to housework can be
attributed to the changes in the social structure. Currently, we are in the digital era where men
and women have their own self-image and self-esteem that they want to uphold (Beck, Ulrich,
and Elisabeth, 2001). Some housework tasks might be perceived by men to be lowering their
self-confidence and esteem and that is why they are avoiding them. To settle these conflicts,
objective preventive strategies, intersubjective preventive strategies, subjective preventive
strategies, objective acute strategies, intersubjective acute strategies, and subjective acute
strategies should be employed.
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d) Discussion/critical analysis of the online learning resources with reference to the
readings and or/key concepts and theories presented in the readings
In an article by Janeen Baxter, currently, there is a convergence of women’s and men’s time on
the housework activities. However, the major disagreement is whether men should increase their
housework time while women doing the contrary. Research shows that men are likely to
participate in the traditional house activities. However, generally, men and women have reduced
their time in housework activities. There has been an increase in the gender gap between the
involvement of men and women in housework. This cannot be attributed to the increase in their
share of the load; it is as a result of women failure to be involved more. Women have decreased
their domestic labor time. The emergence of paid labor has made women to reduce the time they
take in domestic activities. Involvement of women in the labor force is the key cause of the
gender disparities when it comes to housework activities (Baxter, 2002).
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References:
Baxter, J. (2002). Patterns of change and stability in the gender division of household labour in
Australia, 1986–1997. Journal of Sociology, 38(4), pp.399-424.
Beck, Ulrich, and Elisabeth, B.G. (2001). Individualization : Institutionalized Individualism and
its Social and Political Consequences, SAGE Publications. ProQuest EbookCentral,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwsau/detail.action?docID=254692.
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