Time-availability and Resource-bargaining in Housework Division: A Study of South Asian Couples in the U.S. and U.K.

Zahra Khan

Advisor: Shannon N Davis, PhD, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Committee Members: James Witte, Elizangela Storelli

Online Location, Zoom: https://to.gmu.edu/ZahraKhanDefense
November 18, 2024, 09:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Abstract:

This dissertation investigates the division of housework among South Asian immigrant couples residing in the United States and the United Kingdom. Utilizing secondary data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and the U.K. Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), the study focuses on married individuals aged 18 to 64 who identify as Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan. The primary objective is to examine how time availability and relative resources influence housework allocation between genders within these communities and to assess whether these factors operate differently across the two national contexts.

The research tests two main hypotheses: first, that time availability and relative resources are less predictive of housework time for South Asian men compared to women in both countries; and second, that the effects of these predictors differ between the U.S. and the U.K., with stronger impacts expected in the U.K. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models are employed to analyze the data and test these hypotheses.

Findings reveal that South Asian women consistently perform a greater share of housework than men in both countries, even when engaged in paid employment. For women, time availability significantly influences housework time, supporting the time availability theory; as their paid work hours increase, their housework hours decrease. In contrast, men’s housework time is less affected by their or their spouses’ paid work hours, indicating that traditional gender norms strongly influence men’s participation in housework. The resource bargaining theory, which suggests that greater economic resources would reduce housework time, finds limited support. Higher income and educational attainment do not significantly decrease housework for either gender, suggesting that cultural norms override economic factors in determining housework division.

The study concludes that while time availability is a significant predictor for women’s housework participation, entrenched patriarchal norms limit its applicability for men within South Asian immigrant communities. These norms also diminish the impact of relative resources on housework allocation, emphasizing the need to consider cultural influences when examining housework division. The research highlights the importance of integrating gender ideology and cultural context into analyses of housework division and suggests that policy interventions aiming to promote gender equality should address deep-rooted cultural expectations.

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