Double burden is a term describing the workload of men and women who work to earn money, but also have responsibility for unpaid, domestic labor. This phenomenon is also known as the "second shift," as in Arlie Hochschild's book of the same name. In heterosexual couples where both partners have paid jobs, women often spend significantly more time on household chores and caring work, such as childrearing or caring for the sick, than men. This outcome is determined in large part by traditional gender roles that have been accepted by society over time. Labor market constraints also play a role in determining who does the bulk of unpaid work.
Due to an increase in the number of women participating in the labor market, efforts have been made document the effects of this double burden on couples placed in such situations. Many studies have been done tracing the effects of the gendered division of labor and in most cases there was a notable difference between the time men and women contribute to unpaid labor.
Read more about Double Burden: The Second Shift, Health Effects of The Double Burden
Famous quotes containing the words double and/or burden:
“[The] elderly and timid single gentleman in Paris ... never drove down the Champs Elysees without expecting an accident, and commonly witnessing one; or found himself in the neighborhood of an official without calculating the chances of a bomb. So long as the rates of progress held good, these bombs would double in force and number every ten years.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”
—Bible: New Testament, Matthew 20:12.