10 Markers: Symmetry And Roles Flashcards
Outline and explain two reasons for the domestic division of labour between spouses 10 marks
The domestic division of labour refers to the roles that men
and women play in relation to housework, childcare and paid
work
- One reason for this division is patriarchy, as society, and the
family, is male dominated. This means that men and women
remain unequal in the family. This is supported by feminist
sociologist, Oakley (1974). She found that only 15% of
husbands had a high level of housework, and only 25% had a
high level of participation in child care. This means that women
are more likely to do most of the housework and childcare,
due to the patriarchal nature of the family and society. - Another reason for the domestic division of labor is based
on the biological differences between men and women.
Functionalist sociologist Parsons (1955) argues that women are
naturally suited to the nurturing role. This means that women
have an expressive role that consists of primary socialisation
of the children and domestic work, resulting in their role of
homemaker. In comparison, men fulfil an instrumental role
which means that he is the breadwinner and provides for the
family financially. Based on this biological explanation, Parsons
argues that the division of labour benefits men and women,
their children and wider society
Outline and explain two
different reasons for the
unequal division of
labour 10 marks
The domestic division of labour refers to the roles men and
women play in relation to housework, paid work and childcare.
- Point: One explanation for the gender division of labour is
the cultural explanation.
Explain: The cultural explanation examines how the division of
labour is shaped by the patriarchal (a male dominated societv)
norms and values that shape gender roles in our culture.
Evidence: Dunne (1999) observes that those in homosexual
relationships have a more symmetrical relationship due to a
lack of traditional gender scripts to follow.
Analysis: This suggests that homosexuals create relationships
that are equal and not oppressive, because they don’t have
deeply ingrained gender roles to conform to. By contrast,
heterosexual relationships have to conform to these gender
roles, women’s roles have been socially constructed to carry
out domestic work. Therefore, the division of labour exists
because women have been socialised to do so, and it is a part
of society’s expectations - Point: The second reason for the unequal division of labour
is the material explanation.
Explain: The material explanation believes that the division of
labour stems from the fact that women earn less than men so it
is economically rational that women carry out the domestic
work while the men spend their time earning money.
Evidence: Sullivan found that working full-time rather than
part-time makes the biggest difference in terms of how much
domestic work each partner does.
Analysis: This leads to a division of labour because in 7 out of
8 households, women still earn less than men and are more
likely to work part-time due to childcare responsibilities.
Therefore, women are still left with the bulk of the domestic
labour due to lower earnings.
Outline and explain two different views of the role of money on decision-making in households [10 marks]
- Point: One view is the material exolanation.
Explain: This arques that there has been a limited move
towards equality in financial decision-making and control over
resources, especially among dual income couples.
Evidence: Laurie and Gershuny (2000) - found that by 1995,
70% of couples had an equal say in decisions, and women who
were high earners and highly-professional were more likely to
have an equal say.
Analysis: This shows there has been some progress towards
equality. It suggests that the role of money on decision-making
in households is dependent on the financial income of the
couple, and their financial dependency on each other. - Point: Another view is the personal life perspective.
Explain: This view focuses on the meanings couples give to
who controls the money, and this means that one partner
controlling the money doesn’t always mean there is inequality.
Evidence: Smart (2007) - Homosexual couples didn’t attach
any meaning to who controlled the monev.
Analysis: This means that they did not see the control of
money as inequality in the relationship. Additionally, same-sex
couples don’t carrv ‘heterosexual, cultured and historical
baggage that sees money as a source of power’. As a result
they don’t believe money has an impact on decision-making.
Outline and explain two ways in which women's involvement in paid work has affected family structures [10 marks]
- Point: Women’s involvement in paid work has allowed them
to gain more financial independence and this can impact
family structures.
Explain: Being involved in paid work allows women to be not
be financially dependent on their husbands and they have
more freedom to end an unsatisfactory marriage - which can
lead to higher rates of divorce.
Evidence: Allan and Crow - Marriage is less embedded within
the economic system as the family is no longer a unit of
production, spouses are less dependent on each other
economically than before.
Analysis: As a result, women do not have to tolerate conflict
or absence of love, they can simply leave their marriage and
still be able to support themselves and their children, perhaps
leading to a rise in more lone parent families. - Point: Women’s involvement in paid work has allowed
decision-making within the household to become more equal.
Explain: Women are increasingly becoming less financially
dependent on men and this allows them to more equality in
decision-making.
Evidence: Laurie and Gershuny (2000) - By 1995, 70% of
couples said they had a an equal say in decision-making.
particularly women who were high earners and well qualified
professionals were more likely to have an equal say in
decision-making.
Analysis: This suggests that women have become more equal
in the household and it shows a gradual shift away from the
traditional patriarchal family structures to a more symmetrical
family.
Outline and explain two
different views of the
impact on paid work on
the family 10 marks
The March of Progress view
1. Point: Women going into work creates a more equal division
of labour
Explain: Men are becoming more involved with housework,
roles are not identical but they are similar
Evidence: Gershuny (1994) - Uses time studies and found that
women in paid work did less domestic work compared to
unemployed women
Analysis: This shows that the ‘new man’ exists as men are
putting in their fair share of domestic work and this is leading
to the family becoming more equal.
The Feminist view
2. Point: Women going into work is actually creating a dual
burden and in some cases a triple shift (Duncombe and
Marsden)
Explain: A dual burden refers to the situation where a woman
has to juggle paid work and domestic work.
Evidence: The British Social Attitudes Survey - found that on
average men did 8 hours of domestic work a week, whereas
women did 13 hours of domestic work per week which is
almost double the amount of work.
Analysis: This highlights inequality within the family and this
actually has a negative impact on women - both mentally and
physically. As a result she has to take part in emotional work.
Outline and explain two changes to partnerships that have influenced families and households [10 marks]
- One change to partnerships is the increase in same-sex
relationships, this is due to the passing of the Civil Partnership
Act in 2004, which gave same-sex couples similar legal rights
to married couples. Increased social acceptance of same-sex
relationships has influenced families and households. Weeks
(1999) suggests that same-sex couples can partake in choosing
their families. This means that homosexuals can create families
based on the idea of ‘friendship as kinship’, which offers the
same security and stability as heterosexual families and has
therefore impacted families and households. - Another change to partnerships is the increase of more
diverse relationships such as LAT (living apart together). The
increase of LAT is has influenced families and households by
increasing the number of one-person households. Duncan and
Phillips found that 1 in 10 adults are living apart but together,
which means they are in significant relationship, but they are
not married or cohabitating. This implies there is a trend
towards less formalised relationships in favour of families of
choice
Item A Sociologists Crompton and Lvonette (2008) identify two different explanations for the unequal division of labour. Some sociologists believe that equality will only be achieved when norms about gender roles change. Others argue that if women join the labour force and earn as much as their partners, there should be move towards men and women doing more equal amounts of domestic work. Applying material from Item A, analyse two explanations for the gender division of labour [10 marks]
The domestic division of labour refers to the roles men and
women play in relation to housework, paid work and childcare
1. Point: One explanation for the gender division of labour is
the cultural explanation.
Explain: The cultural explanation examines how the division of
labour is shaped by the patriarchal (a male dominated society)
norms and values that shape “gender roles’ (Item A) in our
culture.
Evidence: Dunne (1999) observes that those in homosexual
relationships have a more symmetrical relationship due to a
lack of traditional gender scripts to follow.
Analysis: This suggests that homosexuals create relationships
that are equal and not oppressive, because they don’t have
deeply ingrained gender roles to conform to. By contrast,
heterosexual relationships have to conform to these gender
roles, women’s roles have been socially constructed to carry
out domestic work. Therefore, the division of labour exists
because women have been socialised to do so, and it is a part
of society’s expectations.
Evaluate: However, Warde and Hetherington found that there
is a slight generational shift in attitudes among younger men,
they no longer assumed that women should do the housework,
and were more likely to do their fair share.
- Another explanation for the gender division of labour is the
material explanation.
Explain: The material explanation believes that it’s
economically rational for women to stay at home because
they don’t ‘earn as much as their partners’ (Item A).
Evidence: Sullivan found found that working full-time rather
than part-time makes the biggest difference in terms of how
much domestic work each partner does.
Analysis: This leads to a division of labour because in 7 out of
8 households, women still earn less than men and are more
likely to work part-time due to childcare responsibilities.
Therefore, women are still left with the bulk of the domestic
labour due to lower earnings.
Evaluate: But, Laurie and Gershuny (2000) found that by 1995,
70% of couples believe that they had an equal say in decision-
making particularly women who were high earners and well
qualified. This shows there is a move towards equalitv.
Item W In contemporary Britain, families are often thought to be more symmetrical, wherebv the relationship between married and cohabitating couples has become less patriarchal, or male dominated, and much more an equally balanced partnership. Both partners share household chores, childcare and decision- making, and both partners are more likely to be involved in paid employment. Applying material from Item W, analyse two ways in which contemporary families have become partnerships of equals [10 marks]
“In contemporary Britain, families are often thought to be more
symmetrical’ (Item W). This viewpoint is known as the March of
Progress view. Young and Willmott believe that the family is
gradually improving for all members of the family, as the
family is progressively becoming more equal and democratic.
This suggests that there is a trend away from segregated
conjugal roles and a trend towards joint conjugal roles. This
implies that the domestic division of labour is becoming more
equal, instead of solely relying on women because men are
actively more involved with domestic tasks. Similarly, as men
are beginning to become more involved with domestic tasks
such as childcare, women are beginning to become more
involved with paid work. Therefore, an equal partnership is
created. Despite this, Young and Willmott are criticised by
Feminists such as Oakley, she believes that Young and
Willmott exaggerate men’s contributions to domestic tasks.
Another way that contemporary families have become
partnerships of equals is through more equal “decision-
making’ (Item W). As women are becoming more engaged in
paid work, they are becoming less financially independent on
men and this grants them more equality when it comes to
decision-making. Laurie and Gershuny found that: by 1995, 70%
of couples said they had a an equal say in decision-making,
particularly women who were high earners and well qualified
professionals were more likely to have an equal say in
decision-making. This means that women have become more
equal in within households and partnerships. This is because
women’s earnings are brought much close to their partners,
often meaning that majority of the money isn’t controlled by
men, as there is joint contribution to family income. Therefore,
many financial decisions can be made collectivelv rather than
just the men. Furthermore, it shows that there is a gradual shift
away from the traditional patriarchal family structures to a
more symmetrical family and equal partnerships, where
women have an equal say in decision-making. Nevertheless,
feminists argue that there are still inequalities in decision-
making because patriarchal society has deeply ingrained men
as decision-makers through socialisation patterns, as result,
decision-making is likely to remain unequal, unless it is
challenged.
Item S In the last 50 vears or so, there have been major changes in the position of women in societv. For example, girls now outperform boys in education and more females than males go to university. Major changes in the labour market and the economy, such as the expansion of the service sector, have benefited women. So too have equal rights laws and equal opportunities policies in many areas of society. These include sexuality, where there have been moves towards equality between heterosexual and lesbian women. Women now also have much greater access to reliable contraception. Applying material from Item S, analyse two ways in which changes in women's position in society in the last 50 ears have affected family patterns 110 marks]
One reason for the change lies within the education system.
‘Girls now outperform boys in education’ (Item S). Girls have
better access to an equal education system than ever before.
This is supported by Harper; she suggests that the education
of girls is most important reason for the long-term fall in birth
and fertility rates. For example, the introduction of the
National Curriculum has granted girls with more equal
opportunities in schools. This suggests that due to increased
educational opportunities, girls are able to secure higher
paying jobs and they have more opportunities than they did
previously. As a result, there is a change in mindset in women,
they realise there is a lot more available to them. Similarly,
society is gradually removing the expressive role from women,
and a woman’s traditional role of being a housewife and a
mother are deteriorating. This leads to women wanting
pursuing further education and careers rather than families as
they don’t have any external pressures from society anymore.
As a consequence, many women are deciding to delay
childbearing, or simply not have children at all. However, this
viewpoint doesn’t consider the implications of class and how
this could impact the educational achievement of girls, for
example, Biggart found that working-class girls are more likely
to face a precarious position in the labour market, and
motherhood is seen as the only viable option, thus they see
less point in achieving in education.
Another potential reason for the change may be due to
women’s ‘equal rights’ (Item S) in divorce. In 19th Century
Britain, it was hard for women to obtain divorce. Changes in
the divorce law have made divorce easier to obtain. There has
been three changes to the divorce law: equalising the grounds
of divorce, widening the grounds of divorce, and making
divorce cheaper. Equalising the grounds of divorce in 1923,
catalysed many divorces, and lead to a sharp increase in the
divorce rate. Similarly, widening the divorce ground in 1971 to
‘irretrievable breakdown’ also doubled the divorce rate.
Revoize found that professional women are particularly able
to support their children without their father. This implies that
many women were filing for divorces to get out of an unhappy
marriage, instead of waiting for their husband to do so. As a
result, there is an increase in lone-parent families because
many divorce courts usually qive the custody of children to
mothers. Furthermore, many children choose to live with their
mother over their father. Additionally, non-professional
mothers are usually more likely to take time off work to
accommodate for childcare in comparison to men. This may be
because women are naturally suited to the expressive role.
Therefore, family patterns are changing, due to equality within
divorces, as this is creating more lone-parent families. But,
Radical Feminists would argue that in a patriarchal society,
women may still be trapped in relationships due to men’s
control over them with the threat of domestic or sexual
violence.
Outline and explain two ways in which laws and policies may affect roles and/or relationships in the family 110 marks]
One law that has impacted roles/relationships in the family is
the introduction of homosexual rights. Increased social
acceptance of homosexual relationships has led to the
introduction of laws such as the Civil Partnership Act in 2004.
Weeks argues that increased social acceptance may explain a
trend of same-sex cohabitation and stable relationships that
resemble heterosexual relationships. This suggests that
homosexual couples have more open and equal relationships
due to not having to conform to the norms of traditional,
patriarchal heterosexual relationships. Additionally,
homosexual relationships often carry a more equal domestic
division of labour, as they lack the need to follow traditional
gender scripts. Furthermore, some same-sex couples often
enjoy better financial decision-making, as they often attach no
importance to whoever controls the money in the relationship.
This suggests that the control of money is neither seen an
inequality or equality within the relationship, which may mean
there less opportunity for conflict and relationship
breakdowns.
Another law that has impacted roles/relationships in the family
relates to women in employment. For example, the Equal Pay
Act (1970) has meant that roles within the family have changed.
Allan and Crow suggest that “marriage is less embedded
within the economic system”. This suggests that women no
longer need to rely on men financially and are able to leave
unsatisfactory or harmful relationships. This implies that women
no longer trapped in patriarchal relationships due to financial
dependency. As a result, women may opt to create
relationships based on the ideology of pure love or personal
satisfaction rather than financial dependency. Moreover,
divorce has meant that women have now shifted towards
performing instrumental roles rather than wholly expressive
roles and acting as bread-winners.
