Gender ideology and the domestic division of labor in middle-class Chinese families in Hong Kong
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Gender, Place and Culture
Publication Date
1-1-2002
Volume
9
Issue
3
First Page
245
Last Page
260
Abstract
Despite being engaged in full-time paid work, middle-class women continue to be responsible for the majority of housework and childcare. Based on in-depth interviews with 20 Chinese professional married women, this article explores their subjective perspectives, values and beliefs toward paid and unpaid work. The evidence shows that traditional gender ideology and a patriarchal familial structure, deriving from a Confucian culture, influence perceptions and allocation of housework and childcare, which women are expected to carry out or supervise. The employment of female domestic helpers further reinforces the traditional sexual division of domestic labor in the family. Women in Hong Kong continue to deal with the strain and contradictions of living their lives amidst countervailing modern and traditional forces.
DOI
10.1080/0966369022000003851
Print ISSN
0966369X
Publisher Statement
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Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English