Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?

This study’s objective was to examine whether parents show different patterns in housework behavior in relation to children’s gender. Previous studies have suggested that children’s gender might shape family processes through various paths. However, in married couples, housework behavior is mainly e...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaodong Sun, Kaisheng Lai, Hong Han, Chenyan Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-07-01
Series:SAGE Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231189396
_version_ 1797773446218776576
author Xiaodong Sun
Kaisheng Lai
Hong Han
Chenyan Yang
author_facet Xiaodong Sun
Kaisheng Lai
Hong Han
Chenyan Yang
author_sort Xiaodong Sun
collection DOAJ
description This study’s objective was to examine whether parents show different patterns in housework behavior in relation to children’s gender. Previous studies have suggested that children’s gender might shape family processes through various paths. However, in married couples, housework behavior is mainly explained by the economic or structural differences between partners, but little is known about the potential relevance between children’s gender and parents’ housework behavior. Using nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey, we examined the link between children’s gender and parents’ weekly housework hours. Two dichotomous indicators represented children’s gender: having at least one son (or not) and having at least one daughter (or not). An ordinary least squares regression model was employed for the analysis. The results indicated that parents who have at least one son, rather than those who have at least one daughter, showed significant differences in housework behavior, with mothers spend more time on housework whereas fathers spend less. The findings suggest that parents do behave differently in relation to children’s gender. By emphasizing its symbolic attribute, we argue that children’s gender constitutes part of the social gender structure related to family processes.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T22:06:36Z
format Article
id doaj.art-f414d35a71d84c01a84d8ced76d1b69e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2158-2440
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-12T22:06:36Z
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series SAGE Open
spelling doaj.art-f414d35a71d84c01a84d8ced76d1b69e2023-07-24T13:33:27ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402023-07-011310.1177/21582440231189396Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?Xiaodong Sun0Kaisheng Lai1Hong Han2Chenyan Yang3Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, ChinaJinan University, Guangzhou, ChinaXi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, ChinaXi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, ChinaThis study’s objective was to examine whether parents show different patterns in housework behavior in relation to children’s gender. Previous studies have suggested that children’s gender might shape family processes through various paths. However, in married couples, housework behavior is mainly explained by the economic or structural differences between partners, but little is known about the potential relevance between children’s gender and parents’ housework behavior. Using nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey, we examined the link between children’s gender and parents’ weekly housework hours. Two dichotomous indicators represented children’s gender: having at least one son (or not) and having at least one daughter (or not). An ordinary least squares regression model was employed for the analysis. The results indicated that parents who have at least one son, rather than those who have at least one daughter, showed significant differences in housework behavior, with mothers spend more time on housework whereas fathers spend less. The findings suggest that parents do behave differently in relation to children’s gender. By emphasizing its symbolic attribute, we argue that children’s gender constitutes part of the social gender structure related to family processes.https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231189396
spellingShingle Xiaodong Sun
Kaisheng Lai
Hong Han
Chenyan Yang
Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?
SAGE Open
title Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?
title_full Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?
title_fullStr Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?
title_full_unstemmed Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?
title_short Could Children’s Gender Predict Their Parents’ Housework Behavior?
title_sort could children s gender predict their parents housework behavior
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231189396
work_keys_str_mv AT xiaodongsun couldchildrensgenderpredicttheirparentshouseworkbehavior
AT kaishenglai couldchildrensgenderpredicttheirparentshouseworkbehavior
AT honghan couldchildrensgenderpredicttheirparentshouseworkbehavior
AT chenyanyang couldchildrensgenderpredicttheirparentshouseworkbehavior