Are Couples Becoming More Equal?

Question 1

Describe the impact of paid work on the equality in couples

Answer 1

• Today, more than 3 quarters of women in a relationship are in some form of employment, which contrasts when Oakley did her study of housewives where less than 50% of women didn’t a have a job
• Therefore, sociologists are in interested if this has led to a men taking on a share of housework or if has led to a ‘dual burden’

Question 2

Describe the march of progress view on the equality in couples

Answer 2

• They argue that women going out to work is leading to a more equal division of labour at home, as men are becoming more involved in housework and childcare and women are more involved in paid work
• e.g. Gershuny argues that women working full-time leads to a more equal division as he found that these did less domestic work than other women

Question 3

Describe a study that supports the march of progress view on the equality in couples

Answer 3

• The British Social Attitudes survey found a fall in people who think it’s a man’s job to earn money and the women’s job to loom after the home.
• 45% agreed of men with this view in 1984 while only 13% agreed in 2013

Question 4

Describe the feminist view on the equality of couples

Answer 4

Women going to paid work hasn’t lead to greater equality in the division of domestic labour, but has lead to more responsibilities

Question 5

Describe the responsibilities that women have to take on, according to the feminist view

Answer 5

• They take responsibility for other family member, Hochschild calls this ‘emotion work’ as women are responsible for manging feelings of family member and ensuring everyone is happy while exercising control over their own emotions
• Duncombe and Marsden argue women have to perform a ‘triple shift’ of housework, paid work and emotion work

Question 6

Describe a study that supports the feminist view on the equality of couples

Answer 6

• Dex and Ward found that around 78% of fathers played with their 3 year olds, but only 1% took the main responsibility for caring for a sick child.
• Showing that fathers only participate in the pleasurable aspects of childcare, while women have to take responsibility for the child’s well-being

Question 7

What are the 2 explanations for the unequal division of labour?

Answer 7

Crompton and Lyonette argue:
- The ideological explanation: division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values
- The material explanation: as women earn less, it’s economically rational for women to do more housework while men spend their time earning money

Question 8

Describe a study that supports the ideological explanation of inequality

Answer 8

• Radical feminists argue that heterosexual couples are patriarchal and unequal
• e.g. Dunne found lesbian couples had more symmetrical relationships due to lack of traditional heterosexual ‘gender scripts’

Question 9

Describe a study that supports the material explanation of inequality

Answer 9

• Sullivan shows that working full-time rather than part-time makes the biggest difference in how much domestic work each partner does
• This because working full-time brings women’s earning close to that of their partners