Cleaning the sink: exploring the experiences of Australian lesbian parents reconciling work/family responsibilities

Abstract

In many households across Australia the question ‘Who cleans the sink?’ symbolises an undertow of disquiet. The gendered patterning of household tasks remains resolutely resistant to feminist challenges. Despite three decades of research and policy interest in assisting Australian families reconcile work and family life, this interaction continues to be a source of stress and conflict. This paper aims to examine a work/family arrangement under circumstances in which the traditional gender division of labour is removed – in lesbian family households. It draws on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 17 lesbian parents living in New South Wales, Australia. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify patterns of work and family arrangements in these lesbian-parented families. The findings suggest that family stress and conflict are lessened in some lesbian households through the de-stabilising of scripts concerning traditional gendered division of labour. The paper aims to contribute to the small but growing lesbian-parenting literature in Australia and also to the broader work/family literature.