Does the domestic division of labour vary between married and cohabiting couples and is this reflected in their gender ideologies?

This research investigated the division of labour and the gender ideologies held by seven married couples and nine cohabiting couples in northern England in the summer of 2014. The research used three data collection methods of questionnaires, time use diaries and interviews. The results from these methods were triangulated and analysed. The results showed that egalitarian gender ideologies were held by most of the participants, with the exception of some of the married women, and that they generally believed in the equal division of labour. However, the equal division of labour was not implemented in the couples researched. Men generally worked longer hours in paid employment than the women. The women generally did more housework and childcare than the men. Married women overall did more housework than the cohabiting women. Mothers with young children did more childcare than other mothers and also in comparison to their partners. Housework tasks had a gender divide (women did indoor tasks and men did outdoor tasks) but this was not as noticeable in the division of childcare tasks. Men and women generally enjoyed doing childcare tasks. Men and women also gained pleasure from their employment and they had all worked in the public sphere. This research has contributed a number of findings to sociological knowledge. The first was that it directly compared the gender ideologies of married and cohabiting couples. The second was the division of tasks in the home was divided quite equally between the genders, particularly in childcare tasks. Thirdly, this research showed that women still generally have a greater domestic burden than their male partners. Finally, it also provided data that indicated that some women enjoyed having the greater share of domestic work and so indicated that high female engagement in the home may not be the result of gender subjugation.