Assignment 8

1. According to Hochschild, what is the “Second Shift?”

The second shift according to Hochschild, is when the wife/husband is doing more work outside from their full time job which is considered their first shift. In this case, Nancy and Evan who are a married couple have been married now for a few years and has a son named Joey. Nancy complains that she comes home from her full time job and has to make dinner, play with her son Joey, and clean the house. Nancy feels her husband does not share the same amount of housework that she has to do and feels irritated. Nancy explains she comes home and her husband Evan grabs a beer and goes downstairs to the garage and organizes his tools and works on the car. In Nancy’s eyes she is working two jobs by going to her first job in the morning and then taking care of their child and housework, along with cooking. (Hochschild, 1989)

2. Hochschild argues that families create “myths” about their division of household labor. Name and describe the family MYTH created by Nancy and Evan Holt.

The Family myth which is talked about in this reading is where the husband and Wife split up their housework in a sense of division. The wife, Nancy takes care of the upstairs of the house which includes the living room, bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms. The husband, Evan takes care of the downstairs which includes the garage, car, and taking care of their dog Max. For purposes of accommodating the second shift, then, the Holts garage was elevated to the full moral and practical equivalent of the rest of the house. For Nancy and Evan, Upstairs and Downstairs, inside and out was vaguely described like half and half, a fair division of labor based on a natural division of their housework. (Hochschild, 1989)

3. According to Hochschild, what is the purpose of family myths?

The purpose of the family myths is to have the husband and the wife feel like they are doing the same amount of work and being equal with one another. (Hochschild,1989)

4. How do you expect to divide household labor and child care when you start a family? Please note whether you intend to work full-time, part-time, or stay at home when married and/or when you have young children.

I expect to divide the household labor and childcare equal between my husband and I. I plan to have a full time job as well as my husband. After I work for a few years then I plan to start having children maybe around the age of 27-28. I will do the cleaning around the house because I don’t mind cleaning and my husband and I will split up the cooking amongst us throughout the week.