are couples becoming more equal?

Question 1

the march of progress view

Answer 1

• march of progress sociologists take an optimistic view of the impact of more women involved in paid work
• they say that it is leading to a more equal division of labour at home as men are taking on more household responsibilities and childcare

Question 2

march of progress view: Gershuny (1994) and Sullivan (2000)

Answer 2

• Gershuny (1994): using time studies he found that women involved in paid work did less housework than other women
• Sullivan (2000) analysed nationally representative data that had been collected in 1975, 1987 and 1997
  
  • showed that women were doing a smaller share of the domestic work and men were doing more
  • it also showed that more couples had an equal division of labour

Question 3

the feminist view

Answer 3

• couples are not becoming more equal simply because women are now involved in more paid work
• using the British Social Attitudes Survey, it’s obvious that women are still doing more domestic work than men, on top of their paid work
• eg women do more housework a week, and cared for family members more
  Women now carry a dual burden.

Question 4

taking responsibility of children

Answer 4

• fathers may help perform specific tasks within taking care of children, but the mother is the one to look after their well being
• eg Dex and Ward (2007) found that whilst many fathers liked to play with their toddlers (around 78%), when it came to looking after sick children, only 1% of fathers did this

Question 5

triple shift

Answer 5

• Duncombe and Marsden (1995) argue that women have to perform a triple shift:
• emotion work, housework, and paid work

Question 6

explaining the gender division of labour

Answer 6

• crompton and lyonette
• cultural and material explanation

Question 7

cultural explanation

Answer 7

• division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values that shape gender roles in culture
• eg parents influence the way that we act

Question 8

material explanation

Answer 8

• the fact that women generally earn less than men means it’s economically rational for women to do more of the housework and childcare

Question 9

evidence for the cultural explanation of the gender division of labour (Crompton and Lyonette)

Answer 9

• Gershuny (1994) found that when couples whose parents had a more equal divison of labour, they were more likely to have a more equal relationship/division of labour. this suggests that parental role models are important.
• Man Yee Kan (2001) found that younger men do more housework than their parents, which suggests that there has been a **generational shift*(

Question 10

evidence for the material explanation of the gender division (Crompton and Lyonette)

Answer 10

• Arber and Ginn (1995) better paid, mc women were more able to buy commercially produced products which save time so they don’t need to spend a long time doing housework.
• Man Yee Kan: for every £10,000 a year a woman earns, she does two hours less housework