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Cohabitating Partners and Domestic Labor in Low-Income Black Families

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Abstract

This article examines the division of domestic labor in low-income cohabiting Black stepfamilies. We analyze survey data collected from 136 such families in order to understand how stepparent gender and relationship length impact the distribution of domestic labor. We hypothesize that women do more domestic work than men across all three family types, and that stepfathers are more involved in domestic labor in established relationships compared to new relationships. Findings indicate that cohabiting stepfathers in both new and established cohabiting Black stepfamilies make substantial contributions to domestic labor. These families demonstrate a division of labor consistent with traditional gender roles, though both partners agree on how much work each does. Parents, regardless of gender, are more involved in domestic labor than stepparents.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD064723). The points of view expressed do not represent the official position of the US Government, National Institute of Child Health and Human Services, or National Development and Research Institutes Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10010, USA

    Megan Reid, Andrew Golub & Peter Vazan

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  1. Megan Reid
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  2. Andrew Golub
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  3. Peter Vazan
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Correspondence to Megan Reid.

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Reid, M., Golub, A. & Vazan, P. Cohabitating Partners and Domestic Labor in Low-Income Black Families. J Afr Am St 18, 470–484 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-014-9285-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-014-9285-6

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