My name is Ania and I am a researcher at the LSE studying outsourcing of traditionally male household tasks and the implications for the use of time within the household. I would like to interview partners with dependent children and a resident father which have used the services of a handyman or a gardener. If you can participate in the research please contact me by email at: a.plomien@LSE.ac.uk or by telephone on 020 7107 5404 or 079 2043 3001. A summary report on the research findings will be made available to all participants.

Our own use of handymen and gardeners has little to do with the fact that we have a child and are busy people but more to do with the skillbase of both of us! I also wasn't aware that diy and gardening were still regarded as strictly male household tasks- especially gardening. I'd welcome more background information on the research project itself before registering any interest. Again from a personal perspective as a household we are busy learning new diy skills in order to save money - we bought some decent drills etc in order to become more competent;getting assistance from outside is very expensive.

Dear Roz

Thank you for your response. Here is a little more on the study: researching outsourcing of traditionally male household tasks (e.g. household and garden maintenance) follows quantitative research showing that these are still typically male areas of responsibility. We talk to couples about the implications of this for the use of time within the household, but for many the lack of skills/ tools are important reasons too and we do not want to exclude those. I interview both partners in a couple, interviews take about an hour (sometimes less), are conducted face to face, and include questions about experiences of outsourcing and how this relates to organising work and family life. Any information given is kept strictly confidential, and made anonymous before being used in academic papers or conferences.

I am happy to meet with you at a time and location that is convenient for you - it could be in a coffee shop near your home or workplace, a park, a community centre, an office... I am flexible and can conduct the interview during the day or evening and this can be done on the same day with the two partners, or different days - whichever is convenient.

If email is best, we can schedule the meeting via email (a.plomien@lse.ac.uk) where you could indicate possible dates/ times /place most convenient for you and your partner. Alternatively, you could call me on 020 7107 5404 (office)/ 079 2043 3001 (mobile) or send me a number where I could reach you.

Further information available at:
http://www.hull.ac.uk/socsci/research/pr...index.html
and at:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/genderI...lomien.htm

Best, Ania