Letters to the Editor
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"Domestic" Labor
The main problem with these surveys on the "second shift" is that they do not include car maintenance, house maintenance, financial maintenance, building things, yard work (which they mention in this story, but not as "housework.") and other traditionally male talents as part of "housework." I think if they added these, the division of labor, while still somewhat divided and probably unequal, would be more equal. The term "domestic labor" has to be widened to include ANYTHING that maintains the household, and not defined as "women's traditional tasks." Which is the tack taken by this survey, it seems.
They might also ask information on whether people are working a second (or even third) job - the other "second shift" - this time with pay. Probably more men are working second jobs than women, but again, I don't know. And we won't know unless these people improve their methodology. Working two jobs might explain why the husband is not home as much as he could be.
The other problem is that they never divide by class who does what, but just some vague general "male." Many times working class men might do more physical work while middle class men will just hire someone, etc. Or middle class women will have nannies, cooks, cleaners, etc. Or middle class men might spend more time with children, etc. And upper class men and women hardly do anything at all, but farm ALL the work out. As a result, these surveys are very flawed.