Men in Housekeeping


At an educational institute, I noticed a man who periodically mopped the marble floors of the institution throughout the day. The man wore a navy blue uniform with the words "White House" printed in white.

The number of housekeeping staff agencies has certainly risen in the past few years. A majority of the staff is comprised of men. Considering India's patriarchal society where gender roles are very rigidly defined, especially in lower economic backgrounds, this comes as a surprise to me. Men cleaning and mopping for a living? I wonder if these very men would lend a hand to their mothers or wives in domestic work. Would they mop the floors of their own houses clean or is it deemed as a woman's job at home? 

Comments

  1. VijaySeptember 30, 2013

    We can see some difference between developing and developed countries regarding sexual division of labor. Though men participation is increasing in household work in developed countries. But, still those men would not be mopping the floors of their houses. You can conduct an informal study by making a small questionnaire and ask these men about their attitude about participation in household work and compare it with India's men.

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