Divisions of Labor in Mexican Origin and Anglo Families: Structure and Culture

Abstract

Using OLS regression we model predictors of housework hours for 393 Mexican origin and Anglo families from California and Arizona. Contradicting cultural theories, Mexican origin mothers performed less housework when they were employed more hours, had higher relative earnings, and when husbands had more education. Mexican origin fathers performed more housework when family income was lower, wives contributed a larger share of earnings, and fathers had more egalitarian gender ideals. Fathers' employment hours, wives' gender attitudes, and familism were not significantly associated with housework hours in Mexican origin families, but were significant in Anglo families. Unique features of the study include analysis of generational status, gatekeeping, and familism. Theoretical reasons for attitudes and socioeconomic status predicting housework are discussed.

Consecuencias del permiso de paternidad en el reparto de tareas y cuidados en la pareja

“…If we look at the couple in relation to their ties to the labor market, we can see that the model of the father as sole breadwinner has a negative impact on fathers' involvement in childcare, maintaining and even increasing the division of traditional roles in the domestic sphere. However, the relative level of income does not have a signifi cant effect on the time dedicated to childcare by the father, with the exception pointed out in the sub-sample of fathers with more than one child, where equality or asymmetry in favor of the mother favors the caregiving time of the father, which is consistent with what has been found in previous studies (Naldini et al, 2009;Pinto and Coltrane, 2009). Regarding the most important variables, a couple with two incomes and fathers working fewer hours per week contribute decisively to the involvement of the father in caregiving tasks.…”

“…In general and consistent with the literature on this subject (A. H. Gauthier et al, 2004;A. Gauthier and DeGusti, 2012;Hook, 2006;Pinto and Coltrane, 2009), the more hours the father works per week, the less involved he will be in childcare. If we look at the couple in relation to their ties to the labor market, we can see that the model of the father as sole breadwinner has a negative impact on fathers' involvement in childcare, maintaining and even increasing the division of traditional roles in the domestic sphere.…”

“…Aparte de los efectos de los permisos de paternidad en el reparto de tareas reproductivas por parte de los varones, en el presente estudio se revisan los infl uidos por otros factores, que tienen un impacto positivo en el reparto más igualitario de las tareas domés-ticas, y que se encuentran recogidos en la revisión bibliográfi ca de Lachance-Grezela y Bouchard (2010), tales como: los ingresos relativos positivos de la mujer (Naldini et al, 2009;Pinto y Coltrane, 2009); un mayor nivel educativo por parte de los hombres (Gershuny y Sullivan, 2003); una menor participación del hombre en el trabajo remunerado (Gauthier et al, 2004;Gauthier y DeGusti, 2012;Hook, 2006;Pinto y Coltrane, 2009) y la participación de ambos miembros de la pareja en el mercado laboral (Cooke, 2009). También se comentan los efectos del permiso de paternidad por la variable de valores igualitarios respecto al cuidado, que pueden incrementar las horas de trabajo doméstico (Bianchi et al, 2000), así como se advierte sobre la disminución de la participación en el cuidado de niños por el hecho de disponer de servicio doméstico (González y JuradoGuerrero, 2009).…”

“…En términos generales, y coincidente con la literatura sobre el tema (Gauthier et al, 2004;Gauthier y DeGusti, 2012;Hook, 2006;Pinto y Coltrane, 2009), el hecho de que el padre trabaje más horas semanales se traduce en una disminución de su involucración en el cuidado de los niños/ niñas. Si atendemos a lo que sucede con la confi guración de la pareja respecto a sus lazos con el mercado de trabajo, podemos observar que un modelo de varón como único proveedor de ingresos actúa de forma negativa sobre la implicación del varón en el cuidado, manteniendo e incluso incrementando la división de roles tradicional en la esfera doméstica.…”

“…These factors include: the positive relative earnings of women (Naldini et al, 2009;Pinto and Coltrane, 2009); higher education levels for men (Gershuny and Sullivan, 2003); lower participation of men in paid employment (Gauthier et al, 2004;A. Gauthier and DeGusti, 2012;Hook, 2006;Pinto and Coltrane, 2009), and both partners working (Cooke, 2009). Another factor in the literature is the effect of paternity leave on the egalitarian values regarding childcare, which may increase the time men dedicate to domestic work (Bianchi et al, 2000).…”