But another way men react to having their masculinity threatened is stealthier. They do fewer chores, according to an analysis by Dan Cassino […] and […] Yasemin Besen-Cassino […]. According to their findings, men especially avoid housework just when you’d think they would pick up the slack: When they make less than their wives do.
Overall in the U.S., women [do housework] more than men do. American men did an average of 15 minutes of housework each day, while women did 45, the Cassinos write. Most men—77 percent—did no housework on any given day, while most women—55 percent—did at least some.
“You can see the out-earned husbands (red line) doing relatively less housework compared to the breadwinner husbands (blue line) in this chart:
Minutes Per Day Spent on Housework by Married Men
Indeed, in another recent study of men who cook, the participants saw cooking as a type of “work-leisure”—not quite one or the other. The ones who had “few or no childcare responsibilities” were more likely to find it pleasurable, since they “seemed to have more freedom to relax and take their time in the kitchen.”
The post-recession era has coincided with a rise in foodie culture, which might have contributed to men’s growing interest in the culinary arts. Pushing a vacuum cleaner might seem effete to American men, but post an expertly grilled steak on Instagram, and you’re practically Don Draper.
To the Cassinos, the rise of the manly chef might be a sign that eventually cleaning and childcare will become similarly de-gendered. If that’s the case, I’d be ready to angel-invest in a new—and very macho—social-media platform designed for people to brag about washing the sheets without being asked.”
Khazan, Olga. 2016. “Emasculated Men Refuse to Do Chores—Except Cooking.” The Atlantic, October 24. Retrieved October 28, 2017 (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/10/the-only-chore-men-will-do-is-cook/505067/). [Emphasis added. Links and picture in original.]
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