The Great Convergence: Gender and Unpaid Work in Europe and the United States
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Level 4 by design analogy (repeated cross-sectional time-diary analysis; non-clinical scholarship).
OpenAlex W3045739950 · doi:10.1111/padr.12385
What was done
Analyzed time diary data from the mid-1980s onward across countries in Europe and the United States to assess long-term trends in men's and women's unpaid labor (housework and childcare). Decomposition analyses were conducted to evaluate whether observed trends were driven by behavioral changes or compositional shifts in population characteristics.
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical figures or effect sizes. Directionally, the authors found evidence of overall gender convergence in unpaid work across countries. Convergence in housework was primarily driven by women reducing their time, whereas childcare time increased among both men and women, converging only in contexts where men's increases outpaced women's. Decomposition analyses showed that these patterns were explained by behavioral changes rather than demographic compositional shifts, though baseline level differences between men and women persisted.
Why it matters
Shows that gender convergence in unpaid labor is a widespread behavioral shift occurring across diverse national policy contexts and social norms, while highlighting distinct trajectories for routine housework versus childcare.
Limits
The abstract does not report specific sample sizes, the exact countries analyzed, or quantitative estimates. The analysis relies on self-reported time-diary surveys, which are subject to reporting errors, and does not establish causal mechanisms.
Cited by
- partial The share of domestic work (chores and childcare) performed by men has risen every decade for the last 90 years and is at an all-time high.