Samenvatting

In recent decades, an increasing number of European women have taken up paid employment, but there has been no equivalent rise in the proportion of care tasks assumed by men. The distribution of care tasks between the sexes in household and family life is unbalanced. This article show the strategies of households to diminish time spend on household and caring tasks. A complete outsourcing of caring tasks is not possible (it would lead to de-familiarisation) and redistribution of these tasks remain a necessity. This article also shows that the present distribution of care tasks between the sexes is capable of change. The purpose of this change is not an exactly equal distribution of tasks between man and woman, but a situation where both sexes are in principle able to carry out any household and family care tasks, i.e. where men can perform the so-called 'feminine' care tasks and women the 'masculine' tasks. We describe this process as degenderfication of household and caring tasks.