Kiram, M.Z. orcid.org/0000-0001-9243-8955 (2025) Gendered division of domestic labour: Indonesian Muslim men’s perceptions, participation and experiences in housework and childcare. Journal of Gender Studies. ISSN 0958-9236
Abstract
Research on gender inequality in Indonesian Muslim contexts has primarily focused on women, with limited exploration of men’s roles in domestic labour. This article addresses this gap by examining how Islam and culture shape men’s perceptions, participation and experiences in domestic labour. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a time-use survey of 250 couples (500 individuals), and semi-structured interviews with 10 couples (20 individuals), and with two Islamic scholars (imams). The findings show that while men view their primary role in Islam as being the family’s provider, they are also encouraged to participate in domestic labour. However, cultural norms often reinforce their breadwinner role, leading to a highly gendered division of domestic labour, with women handling most household chores and childcare. Men’s involvement is often framed as ‘helping’ rather than fully sharing responsibilities, with some receiving appreciation for their contributions while others face criticism. Nevertheless, evolving interpretations of the Quran are advancing a more egalitarian understanding of gender roles, leading some men to increase their participation in domestic labour. This study provides new insights into domestic labour dynamics in Indonesian Muslim families, contributing to the broader discourse on gender roles, religion and cultural norms.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. |
Keywords: | Religion; culture; domestic labour; time-use; Muslim men |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Sociological Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 10 Mar 2025 10:58 |
Last Modified: | 10 Mar 2025 10:58 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2025.2473923 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Informa UK Limited |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/09589236.2025.2473923 |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:224229 |