The “New Man” is in the House: Young Men,Social Change,and Housework

Abstract

Many scholars and journalists argue that housework is slowly being transformed in the late-modern era, with men doing more housework, women doing less, and outside help being utilized more often. Much of this optimism is held out for the younger age groups, especially members of “Generation X” (those born between 1965 and 1979). Drawing on findings from interviews with 22 middle-class Generation X men, this article examines the meaning and value of housework for these men and the extent to which it conforms to “optimistic accounts” of change (McMahon, 1999). Contrary to popular images of the “New Man” and the “New Woman,” a picture of continuity rather than change emerges overall. Generation X men are largely disinterested in the identity and housework possibilities that flow from discourses of equity and fairness, content to be domestic “helpers.” The men's comfort with their current arrangement is identified as a major impediment in achieving equality. The only area when men's practices might be changing in any meaningful way is with respect to fathering.