Extending theoretical explanations for gendered divisions of care during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis article extends pre‐pandemic theories, empirically testing the salience of pandemic‐based absolute and relative resources and time availability mechanisms for understanding gendered divisions of childcare across the COVID‐19 pandemic.BackgroundMultiple cross‐sectional studies have examined gender differences in pandemic divisions of childcare, yet few longitudinal studies exist, particularly using pandemic‐specific theoretical mechanisms.MethodThe authors used five waves (six data points, April 2020–November 2021) of probability‐based longitudinal data from the Netherlands to estimate fixed‐effects regression models (person‐wave data; 2165 mothers and 1839 fathers) to analyze the division of childcare.ResultsEssential occupation was associated with a relative decrease in childcare tasks for mothers but not fathers. Mothers whose partner worked in an essential occupation experienced a relative increase in childcare tasks. Time availability also mattered; primarily for fathers. Working from home was associated with a relative increase in father's involvement in childcare, whereas an increase in work hours was associated with a decrease. Unemployment affected mothers only and was associated with an increase in relative childcare.ConclusionHaving an essential occupation potentially functioned as a new resource for some mothers to bargain for more gender‐egalitarian divisions of care but also reaffirmed the relative importance of men's paid employment over that of women's in shaping divisions of care. Time availability played a role in divisions of care during the pandemic, but mostly for fathers.ImplicationsThe findings extend traditional resources and time availability theories to explain pandemic‐based gender differences in the division of care across the pandemic.