Distribution and duration of chores in married couple households

Based on data from the “Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey” ( RLMS-HSE), this article analyzes the gender distinctions and tendencies that characterize changes in the structure of how chores are assigned, and how much time is allocatedto them, in households that consist solely of married couples, during the years 19942021. As it turns out, in such households women tend to do much more work around the house than do men. However, both men and women have been spending more time working for pay outside of the home, though simultaneously the overall amount of time spent doing work outside of the home, as well as on household chores, has decreased. Other changes that were observed include a decrease of over twofold in the time spent on performing household chores by either men or women, and a somewhat less substantial reduction of the difference in time spent doing chores between women and men. Distribution of household chores by gender during the time period in question has become more equal mostly due to the fact that the time women used to spend performing household duties has been decreasing at a more rapid rate than in the case of their partners. The results of the study also point towards variability and a considerable decrease in the time spent on performing various household duties by the women and men who form families consisting of just the married couples. Where the discrepancy between genders is the greatest is when it comes to time spent on those chores that involve monotonous, tedious and exhausting work around the house.

household, time management, household chores, monitoring, work hours, family, social adaptation