Just too sexist to be true? After couples filled out surveys as part of the “Equality Project”, results revealed that the divorce rate among couples who shared housework equally was around 50 percent higher than among those couples where men did little work compared to women.
In essence, “the more a man does in the home, the higher the divorce rate,” writes Thomas Hansen, study co-author.
As for why the issue of housework division seems to be such a make or break one for couples, Hansen says it’s all about “modern attitudes.”
“Modern couples are just that, both in the way they divide up the chores and in their perception of marriage” as being less sacred, says Hansen (via the London Telegraph). “In these modern couples, women also have a high level of education and a well-paid job, which makes them less dependent on their spouse financially. They can manage much easier if they divorce.”
Hansen believes that sharing housework may lead to bickering over who does what — and how much. If both spouses have the financial means to be independent, they might be less inclined to iron out their differences. In couples where one spouse (the wife) expected to most of the work, these types of squabbles may not breakout.
If this doesn’t seems like enough of a throwback to 1950s gender roles, the study also found that women in Norwegian households indicated they were “very satisfied” when they did all the housework and their happiness was equal to women who lived in modern set ups.
What is the division of labor in your household? Did housework play a role in your reasons to divorce?