Division of Household Labor and Social Judgments in Israel: The Influence of Gender and Education

The study investigated how men and women with high and low levels of education perceive male and female targets who participate or do not participate in household chores. It was found that individuals liked both men and women who participated in the household chores more and wanted to engage in activities with them more than with the low-participating targets. The participating man was perceived as more popular than the low-participating man and was perceived as more feminine but not less masculine. In addition although participants with both high and low levels of education preferred the participating man the more educated participants preferred him more attributed more masculinity to him and expressed willingness to befriend him and engage in activities with him more than those with a lower level of education. It seems then that whereas in the 1990s both highly and less educated individuals perceive a male target who participates in household chores more favorably this preference is more pronounced among the more educated individuals. (authors)