Couple-Level Predictors of Perceived Fairness During Pregnancy in First-Time Parents

Abstract

Researchers have suggested that apart from the actual division of household labor, housework ideology and spousal support also influence perceptions of fairness regarding the division of household labor. Furthermore, although only individual perceived fairness predictors are typically examined, researchers acknowledge that an individual’s perceived fairness is often contingent on a combination of characteristics within a couple. In addition to self-perceived fairness, we examined perceptions of fairness for spouse in 104 couples expecting their first child. Results indicate that couple-level actual division of housework and housework ideology significantly predict perceptions of fairness. Furthermore, our data provide evidence to suggest that some predictors’ influence may depend on the level of analysis (couple vs. individual), as well as the type of perceived fairness examined (self vs. spouse). Findings illustrate the importance of considering predictors at the dyadic level, as well as examining self-perceived fairness and spousal perceived fairness as separate constructs.

Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance: Couples with Egalitarian Practices in their Transition to First-Time Parenthood in Spain

“…Recent literature indicates that feelings derived from combining family and work obligations are also related to couples' gender values (Gordon & Mickelson, 2015).…”

“The children don't do enough”: Including children in fairness perceptions of housework

“…Fairness in the scholarship has been defined to be the “judgment that one is unjustly treated” (Thompson, 1991, p. 183), described to be closely related to acceptance and feeling a situation to be legitimate (Braun et al, 2008), and involving recognition of whether one is being under or over benefited (Hatfield et al, 1985). Prior scholarship has found that while the relative amount of housework done is one of the most important factors in influencing fairness perceptions (e.g., doing more leads one to be more likely to find it unfair; Gordon & Mickelson, 2018; Jansen et al, 2016; Öun, 2013), other factors such as hours worked outside the home (e.g., Koster et al, 2021; Perales et al, 2015), gender ideology (e.g., Flèche et al, 2020; Midgette & D'Andrea, 2021), education level (Ruppanner, 2008; Tang & Curran, 2012), and income (Braun et al, 2008; Tai & Baxter, 2018) may also influence reported fairness perceptions. In addition, power relations within the family (which can include couples differing in their outside resources such as education and income, also known resource‐bargaining perspective, Brines, 1993), may also play an important influence on how housework is divided (whether change would even be requested, “latent power”) or legitimized or perceived as fair (“invisible power,” Komter, 1989, p. 192).…”

Effects of Partner Presence During the Interview on Survey Responses: The Example of Questions Concerning the Division of Household Labor

“…This article focuses on the effect of the respondent’s partner’s presence during a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) on responses to a multiple-item question capturing the partner’s relative housework share in different housework domains. This question was chosen for several reasons: First, the division of housework is currently attracting considerable scholarly attention in sociological research (e.g., Auspurg, Iacovou, and Nicoletti 2017; Cordero-Coma and Esping-Andersen 2018; Dommermuth, Hohmann-Marriott, and Lappegård 2015; Gordon and Mickelson 2015; Hu and Yucel 2018; Newkirk, Perry-Jenkins, and Sayer 2017; Ruppanner, Bernhardt, and Brandén 2017; van der Lippe, Treas, and Norbutas 2018). Second, as we will explain in detail below, questions regarding the division of housework have properties that are likely to favor effects of partner presence on responses: They are more difficult to answer than simple factual questions, and the answer directly relates to the (present) partner.…”