Klasnić, Ksenija and Dremel, Anita and Adamović, Mirjana (2026) Gender inequalities in household management: mapping of mental labour as an invisible dimension of social reproduction. Sociologija i prostor, 64 (1). pp. 93-132. ISSN ISSN 1846-5226 (Print), 1849-0387 (Online)
![[img]](http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
SiP 2026_1 Klasnić, Dremel, Adamović.pdf Download (607kB) |
Abstract
IN ENGLISH: The research on gender inequalities in the private sphere have dominantly analysed physical and emotional labour, while mental labour – although pervasive – has remained conceptually and empirically underrepresented. Mental labour encompasses the managing processes of anticipating needs, identifying possible solutions, making decisions, and monitoring their implementation in the daily functioning of the household. Exisiting research have shown that this type of work is strongly gender-marked, and mostly done by women. This can have negative implications on their well-being, and the quality of partner relations, particularly in households with two employed persons. The aim of the paper is to analyse the gender dimension of mental labour in households in Croatia based on the first nationally representative research of this topic. The quantitative data were collected in the end of 2022 on a sample of 1,000 persons living with an intimate partner. The results point to a strong gender inequality in doing mental labour: most activities are done by women, a smaller number of duties are typically reserved for men, while certain segments of the work are divided relatively evenly. Furthermore, significant gender differences were identified in the perception of egalitarity, with men more often than women assessing the distribution of mental labour as equal. The findings contribute to the understanding of mental labour as a crucial, albeit insufficiently recognised, dimension of unpaid work and social reproduction. They point to the need of its integration in the gender inequality analyses, especially in the context of distribution of daily responsibility, well-being and social power within the household, while suggesting that it is necessary to advocate for a detachment from an essentially gendered perspective on the opposition between the private and public sphere. --------------- IN CROATIAN: U istraživanjima rodne nejednakosti u privatnoj sferi dominantno se analiziraju fizički i emocionalni rad, dok mentalni rad – iako pervazivan – ostaje konceptualno i empirijski nedovoljno zahvaćen. Mentalni rad obuhvaća upravljačke procese predviđanja potreba, identificiranja mogućih rješenja, donošenja odluka te praćenja njihove provedbe u svakodnevnom funkcioniranju kućanstva. Dosadašnja istraživanja pokazuju da je taj oblik rada izrazito rodno obilježen, pri čemu ga pretežito obavljaju žene, što može imati negativne implikacije za njihovu dobrobit i kvalitetu partnerskih odnosa, osobito u dvozaposlenim kućanstvima. Cilj rada jest analizirati rodnu dimenziju mentalnog rada u kućanstvima u Hrvatskoj na temelju prvog nacionalno reprezentativnog istraživanja ove tematike. Kvantitativni podaci prikupljeni su krajem 2022. godine metodom ankete na uzorku od 1000 osoba koje žive s intimnim partnerom. Rezultati ukazuju na izraženu rodnu nejednakost u obavljanju mentalnog rada: većinu aktivnosti preuzimaju žene, dok je manji broj poslova tipično “muški”, a određeni segmenti rada pokazuju relativno ravnopravnu podjelu. Uz to, identificirane su značajne rodne razlike u percepciji egalitarnosti, pri čemu muškarci češće nego žene procjenjuju raspodjelu mentalnog rada kao ravnopravnu. Nalazi doprinose razumijevanju mentalnog rada kao ključne, ali nedovoljno prepoznate dimenzije neplaćenog rada i socijalne reprodukcije te ukazuju na potrebu njegove integracije u analize rodne nejednakosti, osobito u kontekstu raspodjele svakodnevne odgovornosti, dobrobiti i društvene moći unutar kućanstva, te sugeriraju potrebu zagovaranja odmaka od esencijalno orođenog promatranja opozicije privatne i javne sfere.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Language: English. - Title in Croatian: Mapiranje mentalnog rada kao nevidljive dimenzije socijalne reprodukcije: rodne nejednakosti u kućnom menadžmentu. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Household management, mental labour, invisible work, unpaid reproductive work, gender inequalities in private sphere (kućni menadžment, mentalni rad, nevidljivi rad, neplaćeni reproduktivni rad, rodne nejednakosti u privatnoj sferi) |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HM Sociology |
| Depositing User: | Karolina |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Oct 2026 08:22 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Oct 2026 08:22 |
| URI: | http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/1310 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
