Abstract

Research done in the United States has linked household division of labor to marital quality. Research shows that satisfaction with division of labor is associated with greater marital happiness. There is minimal research in other countries on the relationship between division of labor and marital quality. China, with a history of gender inequality and emerging women's rights, makes an ideal setting for examining the relationship between division of labor and marital quality. In addition to measuring the influence of division of labor and satisfaction with division of labor on marital satisfaction, this study includes a scale on childcare related tasks. The data used in this study were collected between 1995 and 2001, from 446 couples, in Beijing and Hangzhou, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for dyadic analysis. Results show that traditional division of labor and wives' satisfaction with division of labor positively affect Chinese husbands' marital satisfaction. Contrary to US research, results do not show a statistically significant effect between division of labor and Chinese wives' marital satisfaction. Results also show that higher levels of wives' responsibility for childcare predicts lower levels of marital satisfaction for husbands. Implications for culturally sensitive counseling are discussed.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life; Marriage and Family Therapy

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