Colloquium in May 2024
Ohjae Gowen (Doctoral Student, Department of Sociology, Harvard University, US)
In the recent discussion on the “gender revolution,” the challenges dual-earner parents face in balancing work and family have been identified as the primary cause of gender inequalities. It has also been argued that the revolution can only begin when mothers are able to pursue their careers while having as many children as they desire. As a crucial foundation for achieving this goal, the importance of fathers participating in housework has been highlighted.
However, previous empirical studies have only examined the effects of fathers’ housework on either mothers’ careers or their likelihood of having a second child. This limited focus has made it difficult to determine whether mothers are more likely to forgo their careers, having a second child, or both due to the lack of fathers’ involvement in housework.
Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1976-2021), this study explores the impacts of fathers’ housework in U.S. families on both mothers’ full-time employment and their likelihood of having a second child. The study finds that in the U.S., fathers’ housework hours are negatively associated with mothers’ full-time employment, but not with their likelihood of having a second child. The implications of these findings are discussed, particularly regarding how the lack of fathers’ housework can hinder the “gender revolution.”
