London, Nov 14 (IANS) One may find it hard to believe, but majority of women in Britain enjoy doing household works such as dusting, cleaning and scrubbing, a study has found.
According to the study, 70 percent women admit they gain satisfaction from doing the laundry and mopping floors. This is particularly prevalent among older people, with pensioners saying they find sentimental value in taking the time to look after their treasured possessions, the Daily Mail reported.
The results, based on a survey of 25,000 adults, suggest the 21st century housewife has far more in common with her 1950s counterpart than she might have thought.
With many more women now working full-time as their family’s sole breadwinner, a shift in gender roles might have been expected. But according to researchers, in the majority of British households it is still the women who do the chores, regardless of their working status.
While more than 30 percent of men admitted that someone else is in charge of the cleaning, only 10 percent of women said the same thing.
Researchers Mintel found that more than half of women claim all of the housework falls on them, regardless of whether they have a job.
‘I wouldn’t suggest they had it right in the ’50s but those who take more care over cleaning the home would take their cues and role models from around this time,’ Mintel analyst Michelle Strutton was quoted as saying.
But while fewer men pitch in with the housework, many of those that do secretly enjoy it. A surprising 50 percent said they like doing chores.
Strutton said: ‘In most young families where two adults work full-time there is more sharing of household tasks’
The study, however, found that those in their 20s and 30s were the most likely to buck this trend. Many younger respondents said ‘deep clean’ was not a feasible option with work and family commitments taking precedence over chores.
