Deutsch, Francine M. and Ruth A. Gaunt (Eds.). Creating Equality at Home: How 25 Couples Around the World Share Housework and Childcare

Abstract

Creating Equality at Home tells the fascinating stories of 25 couples around the world whose everyday decisions about sharing the housework and childcare – from who cooks the food, washes the dishes, and helps with homework, to who cuts back on paid work – all add up to a gender revolution. From North and South America to Europe, Asia, and Australia, these couples tell a story of similarity despite vast cultural differences. By rejecting the prescription that men’s identities are determined by paid work and women’s by motherhood, the couples show that men can put family first and are as capable of nurturing as women, and that women can pursue careers as seriously as their husbands do – bringing profound rewards for men, women, marriage, and children. Working couples with children will discover that equality is possible and exists right now.