ABSTRACT
Contented men and women think that their division of labour is fair and works for them. There is no need to argue about it, and it seldom affects the relationship negatively. In some couples, it was clear that the woman had played a significant role in changing the division of labour in the household. Women in these cases come across as governing. In some couples, it appears that the women have made efforts to engage their men actively in household work, and they were successful in this endeavour. Reaching a better balance between the work hours of the spouses took fifteen years, according to this woman. During these years, there were plenty of fights. In some families, women’s striving towards making the men shoulder a greater responsibility is met by resistance. The resistance expresses itself in different ways – pure inability, open unwillingness or a declared willingness to cooperate that does not translate into practice.
