Outsourcing and Perceptions of Equity in the Division of Household Labor Cross-Nationally

• In Event: 2351 - Section on the Sociology of Sex and Gender Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 2. Gender and Household Division of Labor

Abstract

In this study, I examine if outsourcing creates more equitable perceptions of the division of household labor using cross-national data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) Family and Changing Gender Roles Module (ISSP Research Group 2016). I define outsourcing household labor as turning to market or other substitutes (e.g., paid services or unpaid help from extended family members) for the completion of household work that might otherwise be completed by the adult spouse/partners of the household. I use multi-level modeling techniques that allow for the examination of individual and family characteristics as well as country-level indicators of gender inequality (Rabe-Hesketh and Skrondal 2005; Robson and Pevalin 2016). I find that outsourcing household labor can improve perceptions of equity in the division of household labor, with the caveat that accounting for the specific task being outsourced and respondent’s gender is important.

Author

• Jamie L Oslawski-Lopez, Indiana University Kokomo