ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore how housework is carried out, and by and for whom. We show that the topic of housework or domestic work highlights how sociology approaches work in a number of crucial ways. We argue that although the classical sociologists showed little interest in the division of domestic work, the increased attention it has received over the years has helped
advance the discipline. We demonstrate how the study of domestic work has contributed to and provided a valuable critique of what sociologists mean when they discuss ‘work’. We show too that, since housework is seen by many as unrewarding and dirty work, the study of who carries it out, for whom and on what terms, is an exceptionally useful tool for exploring social inequalities in work. And we use domestic work to re-problematise the assumed separation of work carried out in the public sphere and the private. Finally, we discuss the ways in which the study of domestic work has contributed to a more sophisticated sociological understanding of how diverse forms of work are inter-related.
