Division of labor among dual earner couples and satisfaction with work-family balance depending on gender
The increase of women’s participation in the labor market has contributed to the decline of the traditional model of male provider and female housekeeper. As a result, relations between genders have been disrupted; a disruption that has been described as a gender revolution by some writers. Adopting a gender role perspective, this article examines the effect of the division of domestic tasks and articulation of working time among dual-earner couples living in Quebec and outside this province on their satisfaction with work-family balance. Using the 2011 General Social Survey, the analysis shows a positive association between a traditional distribution of domestic work and satisfaction with work-family among Quebec women, and between traditional sharing of work arrangements and satisfaction among women living elsewhere in Canada. Men who are responsible of a larger share of domestic tasks are less satisfied with work-family balance than those who equally share these tasks with their partner. Finally, working over 40 hours/week is negatively linked to both men’s and women’s satisfaction, irrespective of the region of residence.