suggest that endorsing same-sex partnerships through legislation may be more than just a reflection of prevailing public opinion and could actually help to shape subsequent attitudes on homosexuality. Rory Fitzgerald, Director of the ESS, comments:


“The increasing tolerance towards homosexuals in much of western and northern Europe highlights one of the most important social and moral changes in Europe for some time. However, the increasing divergence between large parts of the East and West shows that the European continent is firmly divided on this issue. The debate around this issue and the forthcoming Olympics in Russia reflects these differences clearly.” One of the greatest social changes across


Europe in recent decades has been the increase in female participation in the labour market. But changes in women’s work patterns outside the home have not always been matched by changes in the way household tasks are divided between the sexes. Across Europe, it is still common for women to do the majority of housework, even when they work full-time. The extent to which traditional gender roles


persist within the home varies across countries. Findings from the ESS 2010/11 show that the division of household labour between the sexes is most equal in Scandinavia and most unequal in southern Europe. Whereas in Sweden women working full time are responsible for around 60 per cent of the total time couples spend on housework, in Greece this figure rises to nearly 80 per cent. This pattern reflects different cultural


expectations regarding the respective roles of men and women in society with people in southern Europe – both men and women – more likely to


Acceptance of homosexuality has grown most rapidly in countries such as the UK and Spain which have more recently legalised same-sex partnerships


agree, for example, that when jobs are scarce men should have more right to a job than women. The unequal division of household labour in southern Europe is further underpinned by a lack of policy help for women who want to combine work and family life. Interestingly, research into the so-called


‘double burden’ of paid and domestic work by Professor Jacqueline Scott from the University of Cambridge suggests that men may stand to gain from taking on more of the housework. She and Dr Anke Plagnol, now based at City University London, found that northern European men whose female partners did most of the housework were more likely to experience work-family conflict and had lower wellbeing compared with men who did their fair share. It is not known why this might be but perhaps men in this situation feel guilty for not pulling their weight or perhaps the unequal division of household tasks creates tension between them and their partner. Whatever the reason, evidence that greater equality in unpaid work is associated with enhanced wellbeing may strengthen the case for tackling gender inequality. Rory Fitzgerald, ESS Director, comments:


“These findings from the European Social Survey highlight that public attitudes on a range of important social and moral issues are likely to continue to evolve over time. The ESS provides an important tool though which to monitor this ongoing evolution and to articulate the beliefs and opinions of the population to policymakers throughout Europe.” n


i


More information, including free access to ESS data, is available at: www.europeansocialsurvey.org


The ESS is led by City University London, with other members of its Core Scientific Team based in institutions across Europe.


AUTUMN 2013 SOCIETY NOW 19


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