Abstract

A Study on the Improvement of Gender Inequality in the Measurement of Time Spent on Housework
Type Basic Period 2018
Manager Young-ran Kim Date 2019-01-23
Fiie Basic_06 A Study on the Improvement of Gender Inequality in the Measurement of Time Spent on Housework.pdf ( 71.82 KB )

2018 KWDI Abstract

 

A Study on the Improvement of Gender Inequality in the Measurement of Time Spent on Housework

 

Young-ran Kim

Bo-young Sun

Phil-suk Kim

 

The purpose of this study is to examine the limitations of existing measuring tools of women's housework, present new housework measuring tools and behavioral standards, and identify policy agendas for equal division of domestic work.

 

According to the results of the study, existing housework measuring instruments could not survey domestic work in planning form that is not expressed in action, family-related housework, and housework lasting more than one day or week.

 

As such, this study reconstructed measuring tools for time spent on housework by reflecting the realities of performing housework. The reconstructed measuring tools consist of 64 detailed items in seven areas, including clothing habits, dietary life, dwelling life, family finances, family exchange and events, and children-related activity. Each area includes planning work and practical work, with the former comprising 21 items and the latter 43 items.

 

According to the findings of the survey using the reconstructed housework measuring tool, the gaps in the amount of time women and men spent on housework widened when the time was measured to include planning and relational work.

 

When the total amount of time spent on short cycled regular activities (monthly), long cycled regular activities (yearly), and non-regular activities was measured, women spent approximately 301 hours per month, while men did approximately 99 hours per month.

 

When the amount of time spent on housework was examined by dividing the nature of housework into planning and practical work, the gaps between men and women were great when they performed short-term regular activities (monthly). When it comes to short-term regular housework (monthly), women spent on planning work about four times longer than men did and on practical work about twice longer.

 

Based on these results, the study presented suggestions for the reconstruction of housework measuring tools, reconstruction of methods of measuring domestic work that can measure housework cycles by item, frequency of housework by cycle, and required time, and ways to perform gender equal housework.

 

Key words: housework, gender inequality in domestic work, housework measuring tools