A study by sociologists from George Mason University and North Carolina State University concludes that unmarried couples that live together divide housework more evenly than married couples.
According to Davis, the key finding of the study is that it suggests the institution of marriage changes the division of labor. Couples with an egalitarian view on gender–seeing men and women as equal–are more likely to divide the household chores equally. However, in married relationships, even if an egalitarian viewpoint is present, men still report doing less housework than their wives.
"Marriage as an institution seems to have a traditionalizing effect on couples–even couples who see men and women as equal," says Davis.
While the researchers did not follow cohabitating couples over time to see if their division of housework changed after marriage, their study provides a "snapshot" in time of couples all over the world.
(via Collision Detection)
