Modern Australian

Beyond breadwinners and homemakers, we need to examine how same-sex couples divide housework

  • Written by Leah Ruppanner, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Melbourne
Beyond breadwinners and homemakers, we need to examine how same-sex couples divide houseworkShifting family structures mean our understanding of housework needs updating.Shutterstock

Housework is often understood as a gendered negotiation based on the traditional roles of homemaker (feminine) and breadwinner (masculine). While gender norms have shifted dramatically in the past few decades, theories of housework are still stuck on this...