Specialization or Gender Roles: The Effect of Different Paid Work Models on The Division of Household Labor

Despite greater equality in public life, the home remains a bastion of
gender stratification, especially in the division of household labor. This paper looks
at how two different employment arrangements in the household affect patterns of the
division of household labor. The first involves gender roles and is operationalized
through overlap of shifts, based on Harriet Presser’s prior work in the subject. The
second is based on Gary Becker’s specialization thesis and is operationalized through
which partner works more. Both theses are analyzed using the UK 2000 Time Use
Data, with five major findings presented in the text. The first is that a gender gap
remains in the amount and type of work done in the household, with women doing
more unpaid labor in the home. Second, the distribution of work schedules for the
UK is calculated using 7-day work diaries for the first time, adding interesting and
useful information to a growing body of research on the 24-hour work force. The
third major finding is that a model based on variations shift work (derived from
Presser, 2003) fits the data. The fourth and most important finding is that a model
based on which partner works more better explains the division of household labor.
Finally, the two models are found to work slightly better when integrated, opening up
many avenues for future research. The research presented in this paper will be useful
in helping alleviate stratification in the household as it points to what circumstances
foster a more equitable division of labor in the home.