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Housework Allocation in Germany: The Role of Income and Gender Identity

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  • Vivien Procher
  • Nolan Ritter
  • Colin Vance

Abstract

Objectives This article analyzes how couples allocate housework against the backdrop of three questions: (1) Does an individual's income—both in absolute and relative terms—influence his or her contribution to housework? (2) If so, does the magnitude of this influence differ by gender? and (3) How important are traditional gender roles on housework allocation? Methods We apply panel regression techniques to longitudinal German household data. Results We find that as both the share and absolute level of income increase, the amount of housework undertaken by wives and husbands decreases. Traditional gender roles also underpin housework allocation, which is evidenced by women increasing their housework if they earn more than their partner. Conclusion While we find a negative association between earnings and housework, policy measures to ease the double burden borne by working women may have only a modest effect owing to the persistence of traditional gender conceptions.

Suggested Citation

  • Vivien Procher & Nolan Ritter & Colin Vance, 2018. "Housework Allocation in Germany: The Role of Income and Gender Identity," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 99(1), pages 43-61, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:99:y:2018:i:1:p:43-61
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.12390
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Jianghong & Ohlbrecht, Heike & Pollmann-Schult, Matthias & Habib, Filip Elias, 2020. "Parents’ nonstandard work schedules and children’s social and emotional wellbeing: A mixed-methods analysis in Germany [Elterliche Schichtarbeit und das soziale und emotionale Wohlbefinden von Kind," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 330-356.
    2. Bonnie Janzen & Laurie-Ann Hellsten, 2021. "Household Income and Psychological Distress: Exploring Women’s Paid and Unpaid Work as Mediators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-15, June.
    3. Vanessa Gash & Anke C Plagnol, 2021. "The Partner Pay Gap: Associations between Spouses’ Relative Earnings and Life Satisfaction among Couples in the UK," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 35(3), pages 566-583, June.
    4. Li, Jianghong & Giebler, Heiko & Wetter, Rebecca & Kenyon Lair, Hannah & Ellingwood, Julia, 2023. "Unequal electoral participation: the negative effects of long work hours and unsociable work schedules in Europe," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 6(1), pages 92-113.
    5. Galina Besstremyannaya & Sergei Golovan, 2019. "Reconsideration of a simple approach to quantile regression for panel data: a comment on the Canay (2011) fixed effects estimator," Working Papers w0249, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).
    6. Galina Besstremyannaya & Sergei Golovan, 2019. "Reconsideration of a simple approach to quantile regression for panel data: a comment on the Canay (2011) fixed effects estimator," Working Papers w0249, New Economic School (NES).

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