Universität zu Köln

Hank, Karsten and Steinbach, Anja ORCID: 0000-0002-3642-2374 (2021). The virus changed everything, didn't it? Couples' division of housework and childcare before and during the Corona crisis. JFR-J. Fam. Res., 33 (1). S. 99 - 115. BAMBERG: OTTO FRIEDRICH UNIV BAMBERG PRESS. ISSN 2699-2337

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Abstract

Objective: To investigate dynamics in a core aspect of gender (in)equality in intimate relationships - namely couples' division of housework and childcare - during the Corona crisis. Background: The present study responds to public concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic might have triggered a backlash in gender equality. Method: Our descriptive analysis is based on pre-release data from the German Family Panel (pairfam; Wave 12) and its supplementary COVID-19 web-survey (n=3,108). Results: We observe no fundamental changes in established aggregate-level patterns of couples' division of labor, but some shift towards the extremes ('traditional' and `role reversal') of the distribution. Regarding changes within couples, there is an almost equal split between those in which the female partner's share in housework and childcare increased and those in which it decreased. Particularly in previously more egalitarian arrangements, a substantial proportion of women is now more likely to be primarily responsible for everything. If male partners increased their relative contribution to housework and childcare, they rarely moved beyond the threshold of an equal split. Changes in employment hours were associated with adaptations of men's, but not women's, relative contribution to domestic and family responsibilities. Conclusion: Our findings neither support the notion of a 'patriarchal pandemic', nor do they indicate that the Corona crisis might have fostered macro-level trends of gender convergence. We rather observe heterogeneous responses of couples to the 'Corona shock'.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Hank, Karsten UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Steinbach, Anja UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-3642-2374 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-574009
DOI:	10.20377/jfr-488
Journal or Publication Title:	JFR-J. Fam. Res.
Volume:	33
Number:	1
Page Range:	S. 99 - 115
Date:	2021
Publisher:	OTTO FRIEDRICH UNIV BAMBERG PRESS
Place of Publication:	BAMBERG
ISSN:	2699-2337
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language GENDER CONVERGENCE; TIME; UNEMPLOYMENT; RESOURCES; PAIRFAM Multiple languages Family Studies Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/57400