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Premarital Cohabitation and Housework: Couples in Cross‐National Perspective
Author(s) -
Batalova Jeanne A.,
Cohen Philip N.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00743.x
Subject(s) - cohabitation , division of labour , national survey of family growth , perspective (graphical) , demographic economics , sociology , economics , demography , political science , research methodology , family planning , population , law , artificial intelligence , computer science , market economy
The authors examine the effect of premarital cohabitation on the division of household labor in 22 countries. First, women do more routine housework than men in all countries. Second, married couples that cohabited before marriage have a more equal division of housework. Third, national cohabitation rates have equalizing effects on couples regardless of their own cohabitation experience. However, the influence of cohabitation rates is only observed in countries with higher levels of overall gender equality. The authors conclude that the trend toward increasing cohabitation may be part of a broader social trend toward a more egalitarian division of housework.