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Opposite Sex Couples

A CSO Frontier Series Output- What is this?

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As explained earlier, respondents living with a partner or spouse were asked

Between you and your spouse/partner, who is mostly responsible for organising and taking care of:

  1. household chores (e.g. cleaning, tidying, laundry etc)?
  2. grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation?
  3. home and garden maintenance (e.g. painting, clearing gutters, cutting grass etc)?
  4. setting up/renewing utilities (e.g. electricity, refuse collection) and home insurance policies?
  5. financial decisions related to household’s savings, investments or borrowings?
  6. socialising (e.g. meeting up with extended family or friends)?
  7. household health related issues (e.g. medical/dental appointments and check-ups)?

Response options to these questions were (1) Mostly me (2) Balanced and (3) Mostly my spouse/partner

Responsibility for organising and taking care of household tasks and chores - Opposite sex couples

In opposite sex couples, female respondents were more likely to say they are mostly responsible for organising and taking care of household chores, groceries and meals, household health and organising social activities, while men were more likely to report being mostly responsible for household financial decisions on saving, investment and borrowings, home and garden maintenance and setting-up or renewing household utilities.

Two in three (65%) female respondents said they are mostly responsible for household chores, compared with 9% of men, and 64% said they are mostly responsible for organising and taking care of grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation compared with 23% of men.  One in three (33%) men reported that their partner is mostly responsible for taking care of groceries and meals and 38% said their partner is mostly responsible for taking care of household chores. With equal perceptions we would expect the percentage of female respondents who said they are mostly responsible for household chores to be equal to the percentage of male respondents who said their partner is mostly responsible for household chores. The results show that women perceive themselves to have more responsibility than their male partner sees them having and vice versa.

Men were more likely to say they mostly take care of home and garden maintenance (65%), compared with 15% of women. Over half (54%) of women say their partner is mostly responsible for home and garden maintenance.

A majority of both female (51%) and male (63%) respondents said they are mostly responsible for setting-up or renewing household utilities, illustrating the difference in perceptions between men and women around who is mostly responsible for taking primary responsibility for this task.

Women were more likely to report taking the lead in organising social activities such as meeting up with extended family and friends with 42% reporting they are mostly responsible for this compared with 8% of men. See Tables 3.1,3.2 and Figure 3.1.

X-axis labelFemaleMale
Household
chores
659
Financial
decisions
2631
Home and
garden
maintanence
1565
Groceries and
meals
6423
Household
health
598
Utilities5163
Socialising428
Table 3.1 Division of household tasks in opposite sex couples, by sex and demographic characteristics, May-June 2021

Table 3.2 Division of household tasks in opposite sex couples by sex and demographic characteristics, May-June 2021

Women aged 18 to 34 years were most likely to report a Balanced division of responsibilities for five of the seven household tasks compared with other female age groups. Older female respondents were more likely to report a Balanced division of responsibility for organising and taking care of health-related issues and decisions related to household finances. Two thirds (63%) of women aged 18 to 34 reported a balanced division of responsibility for organising social activities compared with between 50% and 53% for other female age groups. Two in five (39%) women aged 18 to 34 report a balanced division of responsibility for groceries and meals, compared with between 22% and 26% for other respondent female age groups. See Tables 3.1, 3.2 and Figure 3.2.

X-axis labelFemale - 18 to 34Female - 35 to 44Female - 45 to 54Female - 55 to 69Female - 70+
Household
chores
4133272730
Financial
decisions
6359616266
Home and
garden
maintanence
4230283129
Groceries and
meals
3925222625
Household
health
4429295158
Utilities3526232025
Socialising6353505053

Younger men, aged 18 to 34, were most likely to report a balanced division in four of the seven household tasks compared with other male age groups. Older male respondents were more likely to report a Balanced division of responsibility for organising and taking care of health-related issues, decisions related to household finances and socialising. Two thirds (64%) of men aged 18 to 34 said that household chores were Balanced, compared with 46% of those aged 55 to 69 years who were least likely to report Balanced responsibility for this task. Over half (52%) of men aged 18 to 34 said there is a Balanced division of responsibility for groceries and meals compared with between 41% and 44% of male respondents in older age groups.

Male respondents aged 18 to 34 years were least likely to report a Balanced division of responsibility for household financial decisions (54% compared with older male age groups who reported between 60% and 66% Balanced responsibility for this task). See Tables 3.1, 3.2 and Figure 3.3.

X-axis labelMale - 18 to 34Male - 35 to 44Male - 45 to 54Male - 55 to 69Male - 70+
Household
chores
6457504650
Financial
decisions
5461646660
Home and
garden
maintanence
4125312825
Groceries and
meals
5244444143
Household
health
7057567382
Utilities2726202321
Socialising6460626669

Overall, having a child aged 18 years or younger living in the home decreases the likelihood of both male and female respondents reporting a Balanced division of responsibility for household tasks. One in three (34%) women without a child reported a Balanced division of household chores, this falls to 27% of women with a child in the household. Over half (55%) of women without a child in the home reported a Balanced division of responsibilities for organising and taking care of household health related issues (e.g. medical/dental appointments and check-ups), this falls to 21% of women with a child. See Tables 3.1, 3.2 and Figure 3.4.

X-axis labelFemale - No child 18 and underFemale - Have child 18 and underMale - No child 18 and underMale - Have child 18 and under
Household
chores
34275352
Financial
decisions
63606360
Home and
garden
maintanence
34283424
Groceries and
meals
31214741
Household
health
55217850
Utilities25262323
Socialising54516760

Responsibility for organising and taking care of household tasks and chores – Opposite sex couples, analysis by labour market activity status

In couples where both partners are employed full-time, women were more likely to report being mostly responsible for taking care of household chores (42% compared with 6% of men). Of respondent males in a couple where both are working full-time, 63% said they are mostly responsible for home and garden maintenance compared with 15% of women.

Over two thirds (67%) of men in full-time employed couples said they are mostly responsible for managing household utilities compared with 57% of women, illustrating that the majority of both sexes deem themselves to be mostly responsible for this household task.

More than two in five (43%) women and one in five (20%) men in couples, where both partners are working full-time, said they are mostly responsible for groceries and meals.

More than eight in ten (82%) women who are not employed and whose partner is employed said they are mostly responsible for household chores, compared with 27% of men who are not employed and whose partner is employed.

Almost half (49%) of women in a couple where the female is employed, and the male is not working reported being mostly responsible for household chores and 48% are mostly responsible for groceries and meals. This compares to 7% and 18% respectively for men in a couple where only the male is employed.

Men were more likely to report being mostly responsible for home and garden maintenance whether they or their partner is employed or not.

Of male respondents not employed and living with a partner in employment, 45% said they are mostly responsible for groceries and meal preparation. This compares to 78% of women who are in the same situation and 48% of women who are employed and whose partner is not employed. See Tables 3.1, 3.2 and Figure 3.5.

X-axis labelFemale - Employed & partner not employedMale - Employed & partner not employedFemale - Not employed & partner employedMale - Not employed & partner employed
Household
chores
4978227
Financial
decisions
37412121
Home and
garden
maintanence
14561963
Groceries and
meals
48187845
Household
health
5186815
Utilities56695252
Socialising4612426

In couples where both partners are retired men were more likely to report being mostly responsible for three of the seven household tasks (financial decisions, home and garden maintenance, and utilities) while women were more likely to report being mostly responsible for the other four tasks (household chores, groceries and meals, household health and socialising).

Overall, men are more likely to be more satisfied with how household tasks are divided in opposite sex couples with 47% reporting a High satisfaction level with how household tasks are divided compared with 31% of women. Both male and female respondents without children (55% men and 37% women) were more likely to report a High satisfaction level with how household tasks are divided when compared with respondents with children (37% men and 24% women).

Respondents are classified into three groups; those who said responsibilities were balanced for less than three of the seven household tasks and chores (0-2 Balanced); those who said responsibilities were balanced for three or four of the seven tasks (3-4 Balanced); those who said responsibilities were balanced for five or more of the seven tasks (5-7 Balanced).

Although less than one in ten (9%) women who are not employed and live with a partner who is employed reported 5-7 Balanced household tasks, a relatively high proportion reported a High satisfaction rating (43%) with the division of household tasks.

Almost three in ten (29%) men who are not employed and live with a partner who is employed reported 5-7 Balanced household tasks, 23% of this group reported a High satisfaction level with how responsibilities for household tasks are divided in the couple.

Two thirds (64%) of men who are retired and live with a retired partner report a High level of satisfaction with the division of household tasks, compared with 28% of women in these circumstances. See Table 3.3 and Figure 3.6.

X-axis label5 - 7 Balanced TasksHigh Satisfaction
Both FT
Employed
Female
1129
Both
Employed
Female
1538
Employed
and partner
not
employed
Female
1128
Not
employed
and partner
employed
Female
943
Both
retired
Female
1628
Both FT
Employed
Male
1448
Both
Employed
Male
2524
Employed
and partner
not
employed
Male
1338
Not
employed
and partner
employed
Male
2923
Both
retired
Male
2664
Table 3.3 Balance, satisfaction and change in division of household tasks in opposite sex couples by sex and demographic characteristics, May-June 2021

Respondents aged 70 years or older are most likely to be satisfied with the division of household tasks, with 65% of men and 48% of women in this age group reporting a High satisfaction level. Those aged 45 to 54 years are least likely to report a High satisfaction level for both women (26%) and men (38%). See Table 3.3 and Figure 3.7.

X-axis labelFemaleMale
18 to 342745
35 to 442640
45 to 542638
55 to 693654
70+4865

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the balance of work in the household has changed for many people, while it has not changed things for others. Two thirds of men (66%) and women (67%) said that there has been no change in the balance of household tasks since the COVID-19 crisis.  Men were more likely to report that household tasks are now more Balanced with one in four (25%) reporting this compared with 20% of women. Women were more likely to report a less Balanced distribution of responsibilities for household tasks, with 13% reporting that the division since COVID-19 is less balanced compared with 9% of men. See Table 3.3.

Opposite sex couples with children

Respondents living with a partner and who have a child 18 years or younger in the home were asked who is responsible for providing emotional support; educational support and structure and discipline to the children in the home.

The majority of women and men were likely to say that the responsibility for providing structure and discipline to children is balanced, with 62% of women reporting this and 80% of men. Over one third (37%) of women report being mostly responsible for this task, compared with 8% of men. One in ten (12%) male respondents perceive that their partner is mostly responsible the structure and discipline of the children while 1% of women report their partner takes the lead in this. This illustrates the differences in perception between men and women around who is mostly responsible for household and family tasks and duties.

Female respondents who are full-time employed and live with a partner who is also in full-time employment were most likely to report a balanced division (70%) of responsibility for providing structure and discipline to the children, compared with 80% of men in this situation. Men who are in a couple where both are employed (either full-time or part-time) were most likely report a balanced division (84%), compared with 64% of female respondents.

Women who are not employed and whose partner is employed were most likely (40%) to report that they are mostly responsible for providing structure and discipline to the children. This compares to 11% of men who are not employed and whose partner is employed.

Similar trends are present for providing educational and emotional support to the children, with women more likely to report they are mostly responsible for these tasks, 60% and 41% of women respectively compared with 12% and 4% of men.

Of male respondents who are not employed and whose partner is employed, 21% reported being mostly responsible for the educational support of the children, compared with 73% of females who are not employed and whose partner is employed. Of respondents in a full-time working couple 41% of women report being mostly responsible for educational support, compared with 10% of men, and 33% of women provided emotional support compared with 3% of men. See Table 3.4 and Figure 3.8.

X-axis labelMostly partnerBalancedMostly me
Male Emotional Support to Children18784
Male Structure and Discipliine to Children12808
Male Educational Support to Children246412
Female Strucutre and Discipline to Children16237
Female Emotional l Support to Children15841
Female Educational Support to Children33760
Table 3.4 Division of childcare tasks in opposite sex couples by sex and demographic characteristics, May-June 2021

Disagreements between partners and who makes the most important decisions – Opposite sex couples

Respondents were more likely to report disagreements about household chores than about financial decisions and female respondents are slightly more likely to report having disagreements than men, with 43% reporting they Sometimes or Often have a disagreement with their partner about chores and 23% Sometimes or Often have disagreements about finances. This compares to 40% and 22% of men who report they Sometimes or Often disagree about chores and finances.

Women and men with children aged 18 years and under living in the home were more likely to report having disagreements about household chores and financial decisions when compared with those without a child of this age in the home. Over half (54%) of women with a child said they Sometimes or Often have disagreements about household chores with their partner, compared with 36% of those without a child in the home. Similarly, 47% of men living with a partner and a child said they Sometimes or Often have disagreements about chores, compared with 36% of men without a child in the home. See Table 3.5 and Figure 3.9.

X-axis labelHousehold choresFinancial decision
No child 18 and under
Female
3618
Have child 18 and
under
Female
5430
No child 18 and under
Male
3619
Have child 18 and
under
Male
4727
Table 3.5 Frequency of disagreements about household tasks in opposite sex couples, by sex and demographic characteristics, May-June 2021

When asked whose opinion prevails when there is a disagreement between the partners in an opposite sex couple, three in five women (60%) and men (58%) reported that their opinion prevails About equally when there is a disagreement. Men were more likely to report that their partner’s opinion mostly prevails when there is a disagreement, with 35% of men reporting this, compared with 17% of women who say their partner’s opinion mostly prevails. Seven in a hundred (7%) men reported that their opinion mostly prevails when there is a disagreement, compared with 23% of women.

Men who are in a couple where both are working full-time (37%) or both are employed (37%) were most likely to report that their partner’s opinion mostly prevails.

Male respondents in older age groups were more likely to report balanced decision making within the couple, with three in four (75%) men aged 45 years and above reporting Balanced decision making when it comes to the most important decisions. Men aged 70 or over were most likely to report a High satisfaction level with how the most important decisions are made.

Women were more likely to report lower levels of balanced decision making compared with men and those aged 70 or over were the most likely age groups to report balanced decision making for the most important decisions. Similarly, the 70 or over age group were most likely to report a High satisfaction level with how the most important decisions are made. See Table 3.5 and Figure 3.10.

X-axis labelFemale Balanced DecisionsMale Balanced DecisionsFemale High Satisfaction with DecisionsMale High Satisfaction with Decisions
18 to 3461684647
35 to 4465724349
45 to 5469754350
55 to 6967765055
70+72756164

Women living with an opposite sex partner were more likely to report being free to spend money on themselves without asking permission from their partner, with 93% of female respondents indicating this in the Pulse survey compared with 83% of male respondents.

Both men and women who are not employed and whose partner is employed are least likely to feel free to spend on themselves, when compared with other labour statuses. Three in four (75%) men and 86% of women who are not employed and whose partner is working reported feeling free to spend on themselves without asking permission from their partner.

Male respondents from the Midlands were least likely to report feeling free to spend on themselves, with 72% indicating this, compared with 90% of men in the West, who were most likely to report the affirmative. Female respondents from the Midlands and South-East were least likely to feel free to spend on themselves, with 91% reporting this compared with 96% of women in the West. See Table 3.6 and Figure 3.11.

X-axis labelMaleFemale
Midlands7291
South-East7791
Mid-West8092
Mid-East8393
South-West8193
Border8293
Dublin8895
West9096
Table 3.6 Balance, satisfaction and freedom in decision making in opposite sex couples by sex and demographic characteristics, May-June 2021

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