Reconstituted couples’ productive and reproductive time. Are they more equitable than dual-parent couples?

Abstract

We analyze the time distribution of the reconstituted couples using data from the Time Use Survey 2002-2003 and 2009-2010, comparing reconstituted couples with at least one child under 18 years old with dual-parent families with similar characteristics. We evaluate the total time (man plus woman) and the difference in time (man minus woman) that couples invest on paid and non-paid work, distinguishing between housework and childcare. Our first finding is that, overall, reconstituted couples invest less time in unpaid work than dual-parent couples –especially on housework–, presumably due to their previous singe-parenthood experience. Regarding sex differences, our conclusion suggests that reconstituted couples in which women bring in the children are clearly more egalitarian than dual-parent couples, whereas when it is men who bring in the children this conclusion is less evident.