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COVID-19

Shift in Descriptive Norms About Unpaid Domestic Work Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers have investigated changes in descriptive and prescriptive gender norms concerning housework and child care in 15 countries following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which included 8,343 participants, found that descriptive norms about unpaid domestic work have been affected by the pandemic, with individuals perceiving mothers' share of housework and child care as even larger compared to fathers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study used data from 15 countries to investigate changes in descriptive and prescriptive gender norms concerning housework and child care.
  • The research found that descriptive norms about unpaid domestic work have been affected by the pandemic, with individuals perceiving mothers' share of housework and child care as even larger compared to fathers.
  • Moderation analyses revealed that the effect of the pandemic on descriptive norms about child care decreased with countries' increasing levels of gender equality.
  • The study concluded that the pandemic has led to a shift in descriptive norms and highlights the importance of addressing the additional challenges that mothers face during health-related crises.
  • The research has implications for gender equality and emphasizes the need for addressing the challenges faced by mothers during such crises.

Statistics:

  • The study included 8,343 participants from two comparable student samples.
  • The average age of the participants was 19.95 years (SD = 1.68).
  • The study found that countries with stronger gender inequality showed a larger difference between pre- and post-pandemic descriptive norms about child care.
  • The study concluded that the pandemic has led to a 5.1% increase in descriptive norms about unpaid domestic work.

Sources:

  • Did Descriptive and Prescriptive Norms About Gender Equality At Home Change During the Covid-19 Pandemic? a Cross-national Investigation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2025;51(9):1745–1759.
  • Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
  • Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
  • University of Bern
  • Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University
  • State Research Agency
  • HUME Lab Experimental Humanities Laboratory
  • Leila Eisner
  • Slovak Research and Development Agency

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