#WFRN2024 Session "The Gendered Division of Physical and Cognitive Labor"

Thread of findings: 1/n

Weverthon Machado et al ask: "what determines the division of cognitive labor?" First, women do more cognitive labor in scheduling/social life, meal planning and supply tracking, and noticing/managing/delegating, and share cognitive work of finances. When women earn relatively more than men, they do less managing/delegating. 2/n
Leah Ruppanner et al ask: "how do we measure parents' mental load (combo of cognitive and emotional labor)?" Interviews reveal that ppl think of life organization, relationships and connections, meta-care (e.g., identifying parenting styles), safety, and individual maintenance as their mental load so the next step is constructing survey measures. 3/n
Emily Christopher asks: "how do partners divide housework and childcare during COVID and beyond?" Longitudinal partner interviews (!) show fathers increased their housework and childcare but these behaviors didn't change their gender role attitudes. 4/n
Krista Lynn Minnotte and Samantha Ammons ask: "how was equality in domestic labor among egalitarian aspiring partners undone during COVID?" Unequal access to job flexibility mattered (women had more of it than men). Gendered privilege (men just did their own thing and bailed on women). Women prioritized children's well being more than men did. People just lowered their standards. 5/5