Women & housework. Essay help.

[donajimena]

I wonder if anyone can help me out. I'm writing an essay on women still doing most of the housework and I wonder if anyone knows of any good resources that may help to explain why in this day and age are still doing the lions share of the housework.
I have plenty of anecdotal but (mumsnet 2018) just isn't cutting it I'm more than happy to do my reading but I need a nudge into the right direction.

Germaine Greer has a chapter on it in her book The Whole Woman - that came out about 20 years ago, but I bet a lot of it is still relevant. It's not long and very readable.

The ONS released some entirely predictable statistics on housework in 2016, which generated a fair amount of press comment at the time.

Have you read 'The Sociology of Housework' by Ann Oakley? Written in the 80's but still relevant imo.

Are you doing this essay at school or college? Have they given you advice on how to approach the research needed for this topic?

To be honest I’d be concerned about using people venting on Mumsnet as evidence of anything at all. I’ve never met anyone in real life who is as put upon as some posters here. I’m not suggesting that their experience isn’t true - just that it may not be typical.

Wifework

Not sure if these are recent enough or on topic for you, but Barbara Ehrenreich's book Global Woman and Polly Toynbee's book Hard Work (both from 2003 I think) look at work and wages in the USA and in the UK respectively. But finding appropriate sources depends a lot on what you're doing and where.

Katrin Marcal, Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner is a good place to start

www.thenation.com/article/wages-for-houseworks-radical-vision/

There’s a book called “the unmade bed”

''Women shoulder the responsibility of 'unpaid work''' say the ONS, and its a significant amount; 60% more, 25 to 35 unpaid hours a week.
The value of that work ranges from around £120 for a student to £750 week for a woman on maternity leave.

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/womenshouldertheresponsibilityofunpaidwork/2016-11-10

The survey explains the what but not the why. I suspect it will boil down to expectations and behaviour of the more privileged class.

"Wifework" by Susan Maushart?

Sorry colditz, just that seen you suggested that already.

There are some interesting figures from the 2016 Australian census about who does the most housework. There is a discussion of the statistics here: theconversation.com/census-2016-women-are-still-disadvantaged-by-the-amount-of-unpaid-housework-they-do-76008

The ABS data is here: www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Employment%20Data%20Summary~67

Time and leisure studies might also be useful (showing that men have more leisure time). Beyond this, there was quite a lot of research re this in the 80s. It was called 'the domestic labour debate'. A fair few marxist feminists wrote about it. I think Christine Delphy was one.

Might be worth looking a few economics books on the issue
(see for example
book which might be in your uni library

There are some fantastic suggestions on here thank you ever so much.
newideas I've been pretty much left to get on with it. The gist is the consequences of women shouldering the burden and why they still are.
You've all been very helpful I can't thank you enough.

Cordelia Fine’s book Delusions of Gender provides a scientific backdrop to why sexism prevails in things like housework even when the couple both see themselves as enlightened and liberal.
She provides evidence and explanations of unconscious biases that we all hold which prop up the unfair sexist status quo