Women's communication shapes division of labor in household
In a new study, Daniel Carlson led a team that analyzed the role that communication
plays in the division of household labor. The authors used data on 487 heterosexual
couples from the 2006 Marital and Relationship Survey. They focused on two things:
How partners' communication influences the division of housework, and what role partners'
communication quality plays in shaping how the division of housework affects relationship
satisfaction.
"Right now people are quarantined, and families have lost important supports that enabled them to work. We've lost child care and schools, and some people have lost jobs, so more responsibilities have been thrust onto parents," said Carlson, associate professor and lead author of the paper. "In these times, focusing on the division of labor and understanding what factors shape it is important."