Accommodation and equity in the division of household labor

The first hypothesis of this dissertation study explores how spouses' mutually accommodating, or conflicting, preferences for the division of household labor are related to satisfaction. The second hypothesis explores how inequities in the division of household labor (i.e., overbenefitted or underbenefitted) are related to satisfaction. A final group of hypotheses explores differences between dual-earner and single-earner spouses in their role preferences, role behavior patterns, and satisfaction.;Forty-seven dual-earner couples and thirty-nine single-earner couples were studied at the end of their second year of marriage. They were interviewed regarding their preferences for the division of household labor and their satisfaction. Telephone interviews were conducted on nine evenings with husbands and wives; they reported their participation in household tasks over 24 hour periods. Data were aggregated to create summary indices.;The results indicate that dual-earner wives are more satisfied with their marriages when spouses' preferences are more accommodating, rather than conflicting, regarding female sex-typed tasks. A similar trend was found for dual-earner husbands. In addition, dual-earner husbands (but not dual-earner wives) are more satisfied with the division of household labor when spouses' preferences regarding male sex-typed tasks are mutually accommodating. Single-earner spouses' satisfaction was not generally related to accommodating preferences. Regarding the second hypothesis, there does not appear to be a significant relationship between the direction and degree of inequity and satisfaction for either dual-earner spouses or single-earner spouses.;The final analyses show that dual-earner spouses are more egalitarian in their role preferences and behavior patterns than are single-earner spouses. Overall, however, wives in both dual-earner and single-earner marriages do more household work than they prefer; husbands in both types of marriages, in contrast, do less household work than they indicate they prefer--or are willing--to do. Trends suggest that single-earner spouses may be more satisfied than are dual-earner spouses. For dual-earner wives, dual-earner husbands, and single-earner wives, marital satisfaction is associated with satisfaction in the division of household labor.