The kitchen counter is messy, the bed is unmade and the mirror is stained with old toothpaste. The man is alone at home – but nothing happens. Sometimes it can seem like he doesn’t notice the mess around him? But according to a new study, that’s not where the problem lies. He sees it, but still does not perceive that anything should be done. Researchers at Cambridge University in Great Britain have investigated the topic. Among other things, they wanted to find answers to why you don’t see more equality in the home in modern times. And they simply believe that we can give society part of the blame. “Jack” and “Jill” The authors behind the new study write the following in the journal Philosophy and Phenomenological Research: When “Jill” enters a messy kitchen, she automatically sees that the dishes need to be washed, that the floor needs to be swept and that the fridge needs to be filled . Of course, “Jack” sees the same thing – that there are dishes in the sink and that the fridge is empty. The problem is that this information does not have the same effect on the man in the house. He does not automatically see that these tasks must be carried out. In contrast, it is more likely that the woman in the house sees this as a form of “invitation” to action. But why is that so? Not just gender roles Many people point out that such inequalities stem from traditional gender roles. And that mothers have often had more flexible jobs in order to be at home with the children. But during two years of pandemic and lockdown, many couples had to spend large parts of their time at home together. Nevertheless, the researchers saw little sign of change. During this time, one would perhaps think that most men should have performed a number of “domestic tasks” that they otherwise do not do? Dr. Tom McClelland and Professor Paulina Sliwa, who are both philosophers and authors of the study, believe the differences can best be explained by using a psychological theory. In English it is called affordance theory. A messy kitchen counter can be interpreted in different ways, according to a new study. For a woman, such a sight will often be an invitation to action. Photo: Julie Egge/news Dirty laundry – an invitation? The theory assumes that the perception of an environment will sooner or later lead to some form of action. Acting on an object: You know, for example, that a lift button must be pressed and that a chair is something you can sit on. This is intuitive. And here the researchers believe there may be differences between women and men. They believe it is more likely that a woman sees a dirty kitchen counter as a kind of invitation to action, than men do. And that this comes as a result of social conditions. If a woman spends more time at home, she is also more shaped by this environment. And in this way, she becomes more trained to see the home in a more specific way: Seeing a dirty bench is like “seeing” that something here needs to be cleaned, the researchers explain. More trained Still, some of this is gender-specific, says Dr. Tom McClelland. – For example, cleaning or childcare. It is expected that women do more housework than men, he says. Professor Sliwa explains that this is a neurological process – a process that prepares the body or head for a physical action. – This can vary from a small urge to fix something, to an overwhelming urge where a mental effort is often required not to act, she says in a press release. Such unfinished “tasks” can irritate some of us green people. But don’t despair. Because according to the researchers, it is possible for men to improve their domestic skills. A collective effort – We can change how we perceive the world through habits and conscious effort, says McClelland. He believes men should be encouraged to resist gender norms. – A man can, for example, decide to remove the crumbs from the kitchen counter every time he waits for the water in the saucepan to boil. This will gradually shape the person concerned to “see” more tasks that need to be done in the future. The two philosophers believe that it will require a collective effort to change such social norms. An alternative could be extended paternity leave. Then the man will automatically spend more time at home, and hopefully become more aware of things that should be done.
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Men and women perceive housework differently, and therefore there are differences, say researchers – news Trøndelag
