INDIANAPOLIS–Common sense may have told you a long time ago that team work brings people closer. Now there’s research to prove it. Couples who do housework together are likely to be closer, said Amanda Miller, associate professor of sociology at the University of Indianapolis.
“There’s something about particular household chores that make couples feel more like a team,” said Miller. “One of the chores that most leads couple to be together is doing the dishes.“
Miller said the teamwork aspect is more than just about being together, though. It’s also about about an equal share of the work.
“One of the things my research shows about men that are college-educated, in particular, is that they don’t want to scrub the toilets. But, they also have a very clear sense that their partners don’t want to be doing that either. So, it’s only fair, they say, that they take their turn, as well.”
That can lead to a natural progression of cooperation.
“What seems to be going on here is that sharing is making couples feel like more of a team and being more of a team makes couples feel like sharing.
And, it’s not just with dishes. It can be any of the chores that women typically do, said Miller, like shopping, cleaning the bathroom or making the bed. She said men don’t mind helping, even to the point where it’s equal. But, her research shows that men do tend to resent it when they end up doing the majority of the work.
PHOTO: Chris Davis/Emmis
