Changes Within The Family- Are Domestic Roles Becoming More Equal? Flashcards
Which sociologists believe that domestic roles ARE becoming more equal?
Willmott & Young
Willmott and Young views on nuclear family and family types.
argue that extended family has been replaced by a privatised nuclear family characterised by ‘symmetry’
Willmott and Young belief surrounding
domestic roles becoming more equal.
YES THEY’RE
-modern marriage is now characterised by ‘joint conjugal roles’
-meaning that women now going out to work
-men are doing a faire share of domestic tasks
-couples now more likely to share both leisure time and decision-making
Which sociologists believe that domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal?
Oakley
British Social Attitudes Survey 2007
Elston
Hardill
Pahl and Vogler
Oakley
domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal
-argues that Willmott & Young’s claim of increasing symmetry is based on
-suspect methodology
-their conclusions were based in one interview which was worded in such a way that could exaggerate the amount of housework done by men
oakley believes that Willmott and Young’s claim was based on …
suspect methodology
British Social Attitudes Survey 2007
domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal
found more sharing of child-rearing than household tasks, although there was some movement towards a more qual division of labour overtime
Ferri and Smith
domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal
-used survey data to focus on childcare
-in almost every kind of household
-even where women was in paid employment outside the home and the man was not
-it was more common for the woman to take the main responsibility for childcare
Elston
domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal
ELSTON’S SURVEY
-of over 400 couples in which both partners were doctors
-found that 80% of female doctors reported that they took time off work to look after their sick children
-compared w/ only 2% of male doctors
What did Elston conclude from his study?
concluded that only a minority of professional couples in her study genuinely shared housework and childcare
Hardill
domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal
-in her study of 30 dual-career professional couples
-Hardill found that the important decisions were usually taken by
-either a male alone or jointly and that his career normally took priority when deciding whether to move house for a new job
Pahl and Vogler
domestic roles becoming ARE NOT more equal
-P&V focus on how each partner’s contribution to the family income affects decision-making within the family
-they found that ‘pooling’ incomes through
e.g
-a joint bank account
was on the increase and was more common among couples who both work full-time
-however, they found that men usually made the major financial decisions.
HOWEVER ARGUMENTS
Bourghes and Beck
Sullivan
Bourghes and Beck
HOWEVER ARGUMENT
suggest that fathers are increasingly taking an active involvement in the emotional side of bringing up children even when marriages break down
-HOWEVER
-its is important NOT TO EXAGGERATE men’s role in childcare
Researcher evidence to support Bourghes and Beck
GRAY
- found that many fathers would like to spend more time with their children but are prevented by long working hours from bonding effectively with their children
Sullivan
Sullivan’s analysis data
-collected over 25 year period
-found a trend towards greater equality as men did more domestic labour
-there was an increased in the number of couples w/ an equal division of labour
-men were participating more ion traditional ‘womens’ tasks such as childcare and ironing
Sources of evaluation
Giddens
-argues that in recent decades the family and marriages have been transformed by greater choice and more equality between M and F
As a result of recent changes in family …
Sources of evaluation
Giddens
the basis of marriage and the family have changed into one
-in which the couple are free to define their relationship themselves
-rather than acting out roles that have been defined by law or tradition
-E.G
=can chose whether to marry or cohabit, and who carries out particular domestic roles
Sources of evaluation
Beck
-puts forward a similar view to giddens
-argues we now live in a ‘RISK SOCIETY’
Beck argues we live in a what society?
RISK SOCIETY
Who argues we live in a risk society? and and define risk society.
BECK
risk society= where tradition has less influence and people have more of a choice
-as such, we are more aware of risks because making a choice involves calculating risks involved
Beck argues that we now have, what type of families?
negociatyed families
Define negociated families
-families which do not conform to traditional family norm
and whose does what domestic task varies
-according to wishes and expectations of members
Who argued we have negociated families?
Beckl
What has led to the new family type of ‘negotiated families’ as Beck argues?
Greater gender equality and greater individualism
