Conjugal Roles

Question 1

What is the domestic division of labour

Answer 1

The roles that men and women play in relation to housework, childcare and paid work.

Question 2

Describe parsons instrumental and expressive roles

Answer 2

In the traditional nuclear family the roles of husbands and wives are segregated.

Husband plays the instrumental role geared towards achieving success at work so that he can provide for the family financiallu (breadwineer)

Wife plays the expressive role: geared towards primary socialisation of children and meeting the family’s emotional needs. the homemaker and a full time housewife

Parsons argues this division of labour is based off of biological differences with women naturally suited to the nuturing role and men naturally suited to the provider. He claims this is beneficial to both men and women and wider society

Question 3

Describe Elizabeth Bott’s joint and segregated conjugal roles

Answer 3

Segregated conjugal roles: where the couple has separate roles a male breadwinner and a female homemaker, their leisure activities tend to be done separately

Joint conjugual roles:Where the couples share tasks such as housework and childcare and do leisure activities together.

Question 4

Describe Young and Wilmotts symmetrical family

Answer 4

They adopt a march of progress view on the family and argue that family life is gradually improving and becoming more equal and demographic. They argue that there has been a long term trend away frm segregated conjugual roles and towards joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family,

Symetrical family: Roles of husband and wives are not identical but much more similar
women go to work
men help with housework
leisure time spent together

London study found symetricality more common among younger couples who are more geographically isolated and more affluent.

rise in symmetrical family due to
Chnages in womens position-women working
geographical moblity-more couples living away from where they grew up
new technology and labour saving devices
higher standards of living

Question 5

Describe Oakley’s feminist approach to the division of labour

Answer 5

Rejects young and wilmotts stidy because although husbands claim to help it could just be minimal help

Oakley found that only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework and only 25% in childcare.