| Popis: |
Objective: This study analyzes how men rationalize their involvement in the household division of labor despite estimating that they spend less time per week in housework and childcare tasks compared to their spouse.Background: Research consistently demonstrates that men spend less time per week in the household division of labor compared to women. Relatively few studies examine how men make sense of and explain their involvement in domestic tasks. This study provides partial insight into a lingering question across these bodies of research – how do men justify and explain their involvement in the household division of labor?Method: Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted from March to August 2017 with cisgender, married men. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously following a grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006). Results: More than half of men estimated spending less time per week in housework and childcare tasks compared to their wife. The three main justifications men used to account for time discrepancies were distinguishing between equity and fairness, using mathematical representations, and invoking comparison cases. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the rhetorical strategies men use to explain and justify gender inequality in the household division of labor. Implications: Men must disrupt gender ideologies which guide their involvement in domestic life in order to address existing inequalities within their family. |
