The study is done by researchers from University of Illinois. For the study, the researchers looked at 220 heterosexual newlywed couples and found that the wives whose husbands shared the household chores are happier.
The research was published online recently in the journal Sex Roles.
"These results were interesting because usually marital satisfaction is studied in only one spouse. Here we were able to see what happens when there's a discrepancy in spouses' attitudes on this issue," study co-author Brian Ogolsky, a professor of human development and family studies, said in a university news release.
"If a woman believes that household chores should be divided equally, what happens if they adopt a traditional approach to the matter? The most satisfied couples have similar expectations and follow through on them," Ogolsky noted.
"For husbands, sharing household tasks isn't as directly related to their satisfaction. Either they don't perceive that there is a discrepancy or they have bought into the idea that the second shift belongs to women," he added.
Ogolsky, however, stressed that the division of work should be determined properly and it should be done during the first two years of marriage as the patterns established in the initial two years are likely to last for a long time.
"Newlyweds need to thoughtfully plan how they can make their expectations about sharing chores work out in real life, especially if the new spouses strongly value gender equality in household labor. This issue will only matter more after children start arriving," Ogolsky said.
The research was funded through a US government grant.
| Share | ||
| Tweet | ||
|
|