The division of household work during the transition to parenthood

Abstract

This article explores the impact of parenthood on the gender division of the household workload, including employment, housework and childcare. A British sample, originally consisting of 96 couples, were interviewed on several occasions during pregnancy and the first postnatal year. The results illustrate how the transition period emphasizes ‘traditional’ patterns in the division of household work. There were no consistent class differences in male participation in housework and childcare, though working-class men had longer hours in employent. Parents' ‘ideal’ work-home arrangements and indicators of maternal dissatisfaction with their position suggest that the division of workload evolving after birth is not generally preferred.