Research clearly shows that, in spite of large-scale social and political changes, women still bear the primary responsibility for housework. Research explaining the unequal division of domestic labor produces mixed results. The authors argue that the "new city" structure of the modern suburbs may be partially responsible for the tenacity of the…

Compared time that cohabiting and married women and men spend doing housework. Analysis of data from 1987 National Survey of Families and Households revealed that marital status affected women's household labor time but not men's; married women spent significantly more time on housework than did cohabiting women. (Author/NB)

Examined relationship between wives' (N=147) employment status and their versus their husbands' (N=154) time spent on household tasks. Compared adjusted mean time that women and men spent in specific household tasks. Found employed women spent less time on female-typed tasks than full-time homemakers. Found husbands' total housework time not…

Used national survey data from over 700 respondents to examine how wives' labor force participation affects extent to which families use market economy to provide goods and services traditionally produced by women. Found that full-time working wives were more likely than wives at home to purchase cleaning and meal preparation services. (Author/NB)

Examined leisure time expenditures of married women in paid labor force. Found both active and passive leisure activities differentially affected by work. Estimated path model of amount of available leisure time, showing effects of paid labor time, age, children, and household labor time. Estimated that women's responsibilities for employment and…

Investigated husbands' contributions to household labor in first-married couples with biological children and in remarried couples with biological children only, stepchildren only, and both biological and stepchildren. Absolute and relative contributions to total household labor did not differ significantly across family types, but husbands in…

The increased participation of women in paid labor has changed the organization of domestic work. This article deals with a strategy to cope with remaining domestic duties; to what extent are domestic tasks outsourced, what are the main determinants, and does it indeed save time spent on housework? Five outsourcing options are investigated:…