Striving towards equal partnerships: Men and household related mental labour

Abstract

Men and women sharing household related mental labour contributes to creating equality in the relationship; its role in establishing a power balance between partners cannot be underestimated. The unbalanced distribution of household related labour – both physical and mental – continues to be highlighted by family scholars as signifiers of inequality in heterosexual partnerships. This article focuses on the phenomenon of gender egalitarianism within church-going heterosexual couples in Aotearoa New Zealand and examines sociological and religious rationales underpinning their behaviour. This constructivist theory analysis draws on interviews with 19 church-going couples and investigates how egalitarian-identifying individuals practice and conceptualize gender equality in their intimate relationships. Findings from this study reveal that the negotiation of household related mental labour is a key feature of egalitarian heterosexual partnerships. Significantly, men’s attitudes towards, and participation in power-sharing and mental labour-sharing are facilitators for relationship egalitarianism and increased levels of relationship satisfaction.