The Division of Labour in Czech Households in the 1990s

Abstract

This article aims to outline the basic division of household tasks in Czech families in the 1990s. It deals primarily with the two-income family, which is the norm in the Czech Republic. The starting point is a discussion of the construction of gender roles and their stereotypical reproduction in the family. This leads to the domain of the household and the related responsibilities, which virtually always fall to women. The article makes extensive use of a database from sociological surveys of the family carried out during the 1990s. In the overwhelming majority of households all usual chores are done by women, including caring for children. In comparison with other similar countries of 'Eastern' Europe, however, the division of work in the Czech Republic is one of the most equitable. Nevertheless, such work is still not very highly esteemed here. The article also looks at trends among both men and women towards changing relations with household tasks and at the subjective view of the justice of the division.