Episode 153: Partnership in the Pandemic
/“Only half of couples who divide everything up in an...equal way report that their relationship is fair, whereas nearly 100% of those who are doing all the tasks jointly report that their relationship is fair. ”
anna lagerdahl and her family
Last month an article appeared in The Atlantic with the title The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism. One striking line reads, ‘The coronavirus smashes up the bargain that so many dual-earner couples have made in the developed world: We can both work because someone else is looking after our children. Instead, couples will have to decide which one of them takes the hit.’
But is that true?
Kristen elworthy and her husband craig with nick, sienna, and Emilia
In this episode we meet three married women in Canada, the US, and the UK, and one (male) sociologist, Daniel Carlson, who has studied couples and the division of labour in the home.
Kristen Elworthy and Anna Lagerdahl have children and Samantha Murphy doesn’t. Each has found the pandemic has affected her work/life balance in unexpected ways. And it’s not all about housework and childcare - women may be carrying a greater emotional load at this time, which affects many aspects of our lives.
I found out about Dan Carlson’s work through a series of tweets he wrote, giving men some tips on how to help out more at home.
You can also read a transcript of the show.