Family Barometer 1998: Responsibility for Everyday Life

The survey studied domestic responsibilities and household work strategies in Finland. The attitudes of 30-45-year-old Finns towards domestic responsibilities and the division of household duties were examined. Respondents' life values were studied by asking them about the importance of certain things (e.g. good income, career prospects, socialising with friends, family, work, leisure activities). Views on who should be responsible for certain household duties were probed. Respondents were asked whether the society, family or someone else should be responsible for care of very young children, care of the elderly, teaching good manners to children, for increasing the birth rate, etc. Further questions focused on domestic conflicts, and how the birth of the first child had changed respondents' lives. Respondents were asked who normally takes care of certain duties (e.g. maintenance, cooking, cleaning, ironing, taking children to day care) in the household, and how satisfied they were with the arrangement. One topic focused on work-life balance. Background variables included, among others, the respondent's gender, marital status, basic education, vocational education, economic activity, type of municipality of residence, province of residence, spouse's economic activity, number of underage children living at home, number of household members, household gross monthly income.