The Link Between Familial Care, the Covid Pandemic and Gender Linked Fate

ABSTRACT In this research note, we assess whether White and Black women who left the labor force to take care of family during the COVID-19 pandemic display higher levels of gender linked fate. The COVID pandemic compounded existing inequality in domestic labor as many women were forced to leave the workforce when schools moved to remote learning and many daycares closed. The gendered impact of the pandemic may have disproportionately fostered a sense of a common bond among women who altered their employment because of the pandemic. We test this hypothesis using a survey administered on a non-probability representative sample of American adults. We find that White and Black women who altered their employment to take care of family displayed higher levels of gender linked fate than others. Our findings suggest that changes in the social context along with personal experiences are tied to women’s perceptions of a common fate.