Perceived Equity in the Division of Household Labor

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This study examines a persistent anomaly in the research literature on the household division of labor: employed married women do the bulk of the housework but few describe this arrangement as unfair. Clearly inequality in household labor is not necessarily a reflection of inequity. Equity theory proposes that perceptions of fairness are based on definitions of situation, rather than just a comparison of behavior between the individuals involved. Families, like other institutions, legitimate and perpetuate some -- but not all -- inequalities. Using a probability sample of 600 employed married women and 400 husbands, this telephone survey explores the circumstances in which the division of household labor is perceived as unjust, and examines the psychological consequences of perceived inequity. The broad significance of this study lies in its use of equity theory to draw a connection between the balance of power in the household and in the wider society -- testing critical propositions about distributive justice.