Relative Fairness and the Division of Housework: The Importance of Options

In spite of employed married women performing approximately twice as much hosework as their husbands, the majority of women believe this situation to be fair. This article investigates the sources and consequences of employed wives' perceptions of fairness in the division of housework. The findings support a social exchange explanation: women who have fewer alternatives to marriage and less economic resources are more likely to view a given division of housework as fair, while women with more alternatives view the same division as unjust. Also, women who perceive an unequal situation as unfair experience lower psychological well-being.