IT’S A WOMEN’S JOB! GENDER STEREOTYPES AND HOUSEHOLD CHORES SHARING IN YOUNG MEN

Domestic work is still a contested terrain. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE, 2022), 63% of women undertake household chores and cook on a daily basis compared to just 36% of men. When it comes to parenting, women are still the ones mainly responsible for childcare: About 56% of women with children under 12 years old spend at least 5 hours per day on childcare, compared to 26% of men (EIGE, 2023). This unequal division of housework responsibilities perpetuates beliefs and expectations that caregiving is a feminine duty and creates significant obstacles for women to participate in the labor market on an equal footing with men. The present study investigates the perception of household chores in young men and the factors predicting a gendered division of domestic work. 92 male university students (Mage = 22.42) filled in an online questionnaire in which they rated the typicality of domestic duties for women and men. The analyses confirmed that our participants considered housework, in particular cleaning and children care activities as Feminine activities while gardening, home and car maintenance as masculine activities. The results showed the participants’ political orientation strongly influenced this stereotypical view. However, growing up in a family in which the division of domestic work was more equal between mothers and fathers led to less stereotypical attitudes and a higher participation in household chores in the sons. The implications of these findings for gender equality and family dynamics are discussed.