Perceived fairness and satisfaction with the division of housework among dual-earner couples in Italy

A well-documented paradox in family literature is that the majority of married women and men consider the division of household labor to be fair, although its distribution is quite uneven. In this article I report results from a survey on 404 dual-earner couples with young children living in Torino (Italy). A small proportion of wives and husbands (13.6% and 5.7% respectively) reported both unfairness and dissatisfaction with the division of housework. The absolute majority (55%) of both wives and husbands perceived fairness and satisfaction, even if most of the chores loads on wives’ shoulders for about two thirds. To explain these judgments, elements of Thompson’s distributive justice theoretical framework were operationalized and tested. A critical reassessment of these elements is provided, based on empirical findings.