Intertwining of the domestic and work spheres throughout life in the cities of Mexico and Buenos Aires; Entrelazamiento de los ámbitos doméstico y laboral a lo largo de la vida en las ciudades de México y Buenos Aires

Abstract

In this study we analyze how men and women in the cities of Mexico and Buenos Aires combine family life and work life (paid and unpaid). Using a life course approach, we are particularly interested in highlighting the effect of inequalities of gender and social origin. We use data from the 2017 Retrospective Demographic Survey conducted in Mexico and the 2019 Retrospective Demographic Survey carried out in Buenos Aires. We apply a multichannel sequence analysis for each city to construct a typology of life courses that combine the areas of family and work. The results show that gender inequalities persist in both cities, although they take different forms. In Mexico City, life courses follow a more traditional distribution of roles: “male breadwinners” and “female homemakers”. In Buenos Aires, there is a predominance of women who start a family early, which almost always combines with a double workload.