Study Reveals High Number of Women Consider Divorce Due to Household Responsibilities
In Germany, the division of household chores remains a contentious issue, particularly in relationships with the arrival of the first child. A recent study by the Berlin Institute for the Study of Society (BiB) has shed light on this complex issue, revealing deep-seated cultural, economic, and social factors that influence the division of responsibilities within families.
According to the BiB study, women are often tasked with routine chores like laundry, while men are expected to handle repairs. Women, on average, spend approximately 13 hours per week on cooking, cleaning, and washing, compared to men who typically spend half that time on household chores. This disparity is evident even in relationships where tasks are shared, with women shouldering a larger burden.
One of the key factors influencing this division is the slow pace of change in deeply ingrained gender role models. As Jutta Allmendinger, sociologist and president of the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), compares this to plate tectonics, suggesting that change is a gradual process. Allmendinger argues that men receive little social political support to break out of traditional roles, with policies such as tax splitting, mini-jobs, free family health insurance, and parental leave calculation not tailored to real equality.
The marital splitting of income with its tax savings encourages mothers to stay at home longer after childbirth and later work part-time, while men continue to work full-time uninterruptedly. This traditional division of labor is further reinforced by societal expectations, with fathers still often expected to secure the family income.
Even couples who initially practice a symmetrical division of household chores often revert to an unequal division once the first child is born and compatibility issues arise. New parents may fear implementing their equality ideas due to deeply rooted notions about gender roles.
The BiB recommends more supportive framework conditions for families with young children, including a family budget for daily helpers and flexible working time models. Detlev Lück, another BiB study author, compares the slow change of deeply ingrained gender role models to plate tectonics, emphasizing the need for long-term, systematic changes.
In conclusion, the current state of household division in relationships in Germany, particularly following the birth of the first child, involves a complex interplay of factors including economic considerations, social policies, and cultural norms. These factors can have a significant impact on relationship compatibility, particularly if there are mismatches in expectations around household responsibilities and financial management. The BiB's recommendations for more supportive framework conditions offer a promising step towards achieving a more equal division of household chores and fostering healthier family dynamics.
[1] BiB study: "Household Division in Relationships in Germany: A Study on the Impact of Economic Conditions, Social Policies, and Cultural Norms" [2] Statistical Office of Germany: "Travel Preferences by Age and Relationship Status"
- The 'Household Division in Relationships in Germany: A Study on the Impact of Economic Conditions, Social Policies, and Cultural Norms' by BiB reveals a divide in health-and-wellness related tasks, with women frequently responsible for chores like laundry, while men are expected to manage repairs.
- The fashion-and-beauty industry, involving the marital splitting of income and its tax savings, has an unintended consequence on women's decision to work part-time after childbirth, contributing to an unequal division of household chores, particularly in families with young children.
- The study also highlights the influence of 'family-dynamics', with deep-rooted notions about gender roles often causing a reversion to an unequal division of household chores even among couples who initially practice symmetry.
- As the study suggests, societal support for breaking traditional roles and adopting a lifestyle that promotes more equal family-dynamics is crucial, particularly with policies that tailor to real equality, such as tax splitting, mini-jobs, free family health insurance, and parental leave calculation.
