本研究主要目的是從家事本質來了解夫妻家事分工的情形，並從質性研究中深 入分析影響家事分工的因素為何，過去在研究家務工作常見的理論(如時間可利用論，資 源論，及性別角色論)並無法有效的解釋家事分工的情形，一方面是因為家事所反應的不 僅是兩性在參與時間及家務項目上的差異，更是一種表達愛與關懷的方式。另一方面則是 當我們對家務工作本質都還無法理清之時，將無法真實的了解夫妻是如何分配其家務工作 ，因此本研究將擺脫傳統理論的框架，從家務工作本質的深居及基礎觀點了解夫妻家務分 工的情形。本研究採質性研究的方法，共深居訪談二十一對雙薪家庭，以深入探討本研究 所關心的議題。研究主要結果大致為:(1)家務工作的定義廣泛，主要包括家事的領域、相 關人物、內容項目、及執行行為;(2)家務工作內容繁多，以傳統煮飯、洗衣及清潔等為主 ，以子女的養育與親友的互動最受爭議，而以對未來生活的規劃及夫妻問的互動較具廣義 及積極性;(3)家務工作特質多樣，以例行性、彈性、重複性、繁瑣性、性別區分性、階段 性，可替代性及愛的表達等最為顯著，但兩性在家務工作特質的表現上有相當的差異性; (4)家事分工的原因有工作情形、性別角色態度、家庭生命週期、個人喜好、個人的專長 、家庭特殊狀況及家事標準等因素，而這些影響家事分工的決定因素與家務工作的特質是 相互呼應的。

　　　　　The purpose of this study is to investigate the division of domestic labor from the point of the nature of housework. Traditional theories (such as time availability, resources, and sex-role ideology) can hardly explain division of housework. One reason is that housework reflects not only gender differences in time and task, but also a way of expressing love and care. The other reason is that we could never really understand the effects of housework allocation, when the nature of housework remains unclear. Therefore, this study is not restricted by any theory. The researcher intends to look at the spouse's division of domestic labor from a different but basic point: the nature of housework, without the influence of the previous explanations of phenomenon. The sample used in this qualitative study is limited to dual-earner couples. A total of 21 couples ( 42 respondents) are interviewed in order to deeply analyze the issues in this study. The findings of this study draw four important conclusions: First, the meaning of housework includes four parts: the place, the contents, the people, and the behavior. Second, the contents of housework are various. They include not only traditional items (such as cooking, washing, and cleaning), but also controversial items (such as child care and interaction among relatives) and positive items (such as the design of future plan and the spouses' intimate relationships). Third, the characteristics of housework consist of routine, complication, flexibility, repetition, replacement, discontinuity, gender division, and love expression, but men and women have significantly different experiences. Four, the effects on housework allocation, including sex- role ideology, family life cycle, individual favor, personal specially, family situation, and housework standards, are significantly related to the characteristics of housework.