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Chapter 2: Problem 15

The chapter mentions that in 1965 , married women with children did an average of 32 hours of housework per week, while men did an average of only 4 hours of housework - a total of 36 hours of housework. In \(2016,\) the estimated average weekly hours of housework for women declined to 15.7 while the hours worked by men increased to about 9.7 - a total of 25.4 hours of housework. Does the decrease in the total number of hours of housework- from 36 to 25.4 mean that families are willing to live in messier homes? Briefly explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The decrease in total housework hours from 36 to 25.4 does not mean families are willing to live in messier homes. The reduction could be due to advancements in technology, more efficient ways of doing chores, or other shifts in priorities. More time spent on housework does not necessarily imply cleaner homes, and less time does not inherently imply messier homes.

Step by step solution

01

Evaluate the change in total hours

The number of total hours spent on housework for both women and men has indeed decreased from 36 hours to 25.4 hours per week. This is a decrease in housework hours by about \(29\%\).
02

Reflect on possible reasons

The decrease in work hours could be due to various factors, like the emergence of labor-saving technologies in terms of cleaning equipment and machinery, more streamlined home responsibilities, or increased importance of and hence time spent on leisurely or personal development activities.
03

Analyze impact on cleanliness

While it's true that less time is being spent on housework, that doesn't necessarily mean households are dirtier or messier. Home cleanliness depends heavily on efficiency in housework, which may have been improved due to reasons mentioned in Step 2. So the reduction in housework hours may not directly translate to messier homes.

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