The differences in role satisfaction : the division of household labour and marital satisfaction across marital types

Men's and women's individual gender-role attitudes have been shown to influence the way household labour is divided in the home, which in turn influence their role and marital satisfaction. The current study examined these processes after the birth of an infant in different marital types. In the present study, 36 families with an infant four months of age or less were grouped according to their marital type: egalitarian, traditional, or mixed. These families completed a series of questionnaires assessing demographic variables, division of household labour, role satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and a 24-hour diary of their daily activities in the home. Results indicated that in egalitarian couples, women were more educated, older, were employed more hours per week, for a longer time, and families were of higher SES than in traditional couples. Mixed and traditional couples did not differ. Neither role satisfaction nor marital satisfaction differed across marital type, with all participants reporting relatively high scores. In terms of division of household labour, both men and women from mixed couples reported a more balanced division of household labour than men and women from egalitarian couples. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the structure and functioning of the family system while adjusting to a new infant in the home.