Gender Roles in Contexts: how gender role expectations and societal characteristics influence same-sex couples’ paid and household labor

Abstract

This study researches how lesbian couples and gay male couples organize their paid and household labor across a diverse range of countries. Gender theory states that couples task division result from beliefs on how men and women should behave and highlights the role of broader institutions in shaping ‘appropriate’ gender-role behaviors. Using unique data compiled from many national surveys (N = 543), we examined how gay male and lesbian couples differ in their paid and household labor and how this task division is influenced by two macro level characteristics: gender egalitarianism and societal tolerance towards homosexuality. Results indicate that lesbian couples divide their household tasks more equal than gay male couples, whereas no differences are present between same-sex couples in paid employment. Moreover, gender egalitarianism and societal tolerance shape how same-sex couples divide their household labor, but not paid labor. These societal characteristics do not influence male and female couples differently. Theoretical, empirical and societal implications of the results are discussed.