Final answer:
Traditionally, the assignments of work activities for women and men were influenced by domestic and factory systems, leading to gender-based divisions of labor and roles. Women generally caretaked in the home, which limited their work activities to domestic tasks, while men worked away from home. Today, despite shifts toward more shared responsibilities, occupational sorting still echoes these traditional roles and creates distinct patterns in the workforce.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tendency for women and men to get assigned work activities that are located near each other has historical roots that coincide with traditional gender roles. Historically, under the domestic system, both genders shared tasks, but with the advent of the factory system, work locations diverged. This led to a gender-based division of labor, where women were more likely to caretake children in the home and be assigned other tasks that could be performed within the domestic sphere, while men engaged in work activities away from home. This separation of roles persists, contributing to a pattern where women overwhelmingly outnumber men in care-related occupations, while men dominate in fields such as law enforcement, the military, and politics. The cultural expectations of gender roles have deeply influenced occupational sorting, defining the work men and women engage in and where these activities take place.
Moreover, the additional unpaid labor women perform in the form of household chores and caregiving responsibilities—despite the increase in shared domestic duties—leads to higher stress levels stemming from work-family conflict. Not just in the United States, this pattern occurs globally, further contributing to the gender pay gap due to undervalued and unpaid domestic work. As cultures evolve, the organization of space in homes and the assignment of work activities continue to reflect dominant ideas about gender roles and expectations.