Still a woman's job: the division of housework in couples living with dementia
Boyle, Geraldine
Boyle, Geraldine
Publication Date
2013
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Keywords
Rights
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
closedAccess
Accepted for publication
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Additional title
Abstract
Progress towards gender equality within intimate relationships has been slow, evident in the persistent unequal division of household labour. Previous studies have primarily focused on non-disabled couples, but research into couples where women were physically disabled has similarly shown a lack of gender equity in housework. However, there was a gap in the evidence in relation to whether men do more housework when women develop dementia. This article presents findings from a qualitative study in England, which explored the everyday decisions made by married couples where one partner had dementia. The author examines the division of labour within the couples and identifies whether women exercised any control over who did the housework. As it was found that men were often reluctant to undertake housework when their wives developed dementia, the author concludes that gender inequality in domestic labour tends to persist, irrespective of cognitive disability.
Version
No full-text in the repository
Citation
Boyle G (2013) Still a woman's job: the division of housework in couples living with dementia. Families, Relationships and Societies. 2(1): 5-21.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article