Husbands' Involvement in Housework: Effects of Relative Earning Power and Masculine Orientation

A survey of 138 husbands in dual-earner households examined factors influencing participation in two household tasks, cleaning and cooking. Path analyses showed that husbands were more involved in these tasks if they had a nontraditional view of masculinity and if they perceived little conflict between their work and family life. Also, the greater the wives' contribution to family income, the greater the husbands' participation in cleaning and cooking. Finally, a traditional view of masculinity tended to decrease involvement in household tasks by increasing the perception of conflict between work and home life.