couples Flashcards

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1
Q

THE DOMESTIC DIVISION OF LABOUR

A

This refers to the way that male & female roles are divided up within the home. This includes: Housework, Childcare, Leisure Time & Paid Employment.

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2
Q

Elizabeth Bott (1957)

A

distinguished between 2 types of conjugal roles.

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3
Q

2 types of conjugal roles.

A

Joint conjugal roles- Couples share tasks such as housework and childcare and spend their leisure time together.
segregated conjugal rules-Couples have completely separate roles. Men are the breadwinners and women are the housewives. Their leisure time also tends to be separate

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4
Q

INSTRUMENTAL ROLE (Parsons)

A

The husband is geared towards success at work and being the ‘breadwinner’.

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5
Q

EXPRESSIVE ROLE (Parsons)

A

The wife is geared towards domestic tasks such as primary socialisation and meeting emotional needs.

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6
Q

ANN OAKLEY & INDUSTRIALISATION

A

Oakley argues that the creation of factories in the 19th century saw paid work and the home become separated.

Women who had once been part of the labour force were now excluded from the workplace and confined to the home. They now had sole responsibility for childcare and men were seen as the breadwinners.

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7
Q

WILLMOTT & YOUNG

A

Willmott & Young studied working-class extended families in Bethnal Green (East London) between the 1950’s and 1970’s. They found a trend away from the segregated conjugal roles

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8
Q

1950’s families

A

The 1950’s family had a clear division of labour.
Men went out to work and spent their leisure time in working men’s clubs with other men. Whilst women stayed at home looking after the children spending their leisure time with other females.

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9
Q

1970’s families

A

the 1970’s they noted a shift towards a more symmetrical family. Women go out to work (all be it part time), men do house work and both spend more leisure time together.

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10
Q

In 1973, Young & Willmott…

A

published their ideas that families are slowly becoming more equal and democratic

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11
Q

impact of industrialisation

A

Geographical Mobility: more couples living away from where they grew up.

New Technologies: ‘Labour saving devices’

Changes in women’s positions: Married women going to work

Higher Standard of Living: With working household income rises, allowing for more labour saving devices and a more attractive home

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12
Q

Feminism and housework

A

Feminists reject the ‘march of progress view’. Instead they argue that women still do most of the housework.

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13
Q

Feminism and housework (Oakley)

A

Ann Oakley (1974) criticises Wilmott and Young’s view of the symmetrical family. Oakley argues that the claims are exaggerated and that women still do the majority of the housework. The ‘help’ men give women is no more than taking the children to the park once a week or occasionally making breakfast.

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14
Q

Feminism and housework (Mary Boulton)

A

Mary Boulton (1983) discovered that fewer than 20% of husbands had a major role in childcare. Boulton also argues that Y&W exaggerate the amount men contribute to childcare. Men may assist in childcare, but ultimately it is the woman who has the overall responsibility for the child’s safety and well being.

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15
Q

Kevin Hetherington and Alan Warde 1993

A

argued that sex typing with domestic chores remains strong. Wives were 30% more likely to do the washing up then men. Men only really did household chores when their partners were not there.

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16
Q

GERSHUNY: The trend towards equality

A

Gershuny (1994) argues that there is a trend towards equality between couples and uses the increase in the paid employment of women as evidence.

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17
Q

Gershuny’s evidence

A

Gershuny found how much housework women do:
Housewives 83%
Wives working P/T 82%
Wives working F/T 73%

Couples who’s parents had a more equal relationship were more likely to share chores.

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18
Q

evaluation

Housework has become commercialised

A

Goods and services that housewives previously had to produce are now mass-produced and supplied by supermarkets, fast food outlets and so on.

Freezers, microwaves, ‘ready meals’ etc all reduce the amount of domestic labour that needs to be done!

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19
Q

Ferri & Smith (1996)

A

Out of a sample of 1,589 parent couples, less than 4% of fathers took the main responsibility for child care. (approx 64 couples out of the total sample).

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20
Q

THE TRIPLE SHIFT: Duncombe & Marsden (1995)

A

This leads to women having 3 Roles:
1) Employment
2) Domestic Work
3)Emotional Work i.e. THE TRIPLE SHIFT

21
Q

British Social Attitudes Survey (2013)

A

Men on average did 8 hours of housework a week, compared to 13 hours for women!
Women more likely to do laundry, care for sick family members, whilst men more likely to do small repair jobs around the home.

22
Q

Dex & Ward (2007): RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILDREN

A

Although 78% of fathers played with their children, only 1% took the main responsibility when the child was ill.

23
Q

Braun, Vincent & Ball (2011)

A

Studied 70 families and in only 3 the father was the main carer.

24
Q

LESBIAN COUPLES & GENDER SCRIPTS: Gillian Dunne (1999)

A

Gillian Dunne (1999) argues that the division of labour continues because of deeply ingrained ‘gender scripts’.
These are expectations or norms that set out the different roles men and women in heterosexual relationships are expected to play.

25
Q

Dunne looked at 37 lesbian couples and found….

A

They shared housework and childcare equally
View childcare Positively!
Both partners gave equal importance to Caring.

26
Q

Laurie & Gershuny (2000)

A

By 1995 70% of couples said they had an equal say in decisions. Women who were high earning and highly qualified were more likely to do this!

27
Q

STEPHEN EDGELL (1980)

A

Men tend to earn more and therefore make the ‘important’ decisions!

28
Q

MICHELLE BARRETT (1991) MARXIST FEMINIST!

A

Women’s financial support is often unpredictable with ‘strings attached’.
Women’s labour generally outweighs the financial support they receive
Men make the decisions on major household expenditure

29
Q

Graham (1984)

A

Studied women claiming benefits after divorce and found that ½ the women were actually better off on benefits than when they were married, as they had a reliable source of income.

30
Q

KEMPSON (1994)

A

Found that in low-income families, it is the women who deny their own needs e.g. skipping meals, seldom going out, eating smaller portions.

31
Q

PAHL & VOGLER (1993) Feminist sociologists!

A

Argue the reason that men dominate decision making and resources is that they are generally the full-time breadwinners.
They identified 2 types of control over finances:
pooling
allowance system

32
Q

pooling

A

POOLING: Where both partners have access to income and a joint responsibility for expenditure. EG: A joint bank account.

33
Q

allowance system

A

ALLOWANCE SYSTEM: Where men give their wives an allowance out of which they have to budget to meet the family’s needs, with the man retaining any surplus income for himself.

34
Q

Nyman 2003 (the meaning of money)

A

To fully understand money management, we need to understand the meaning of money to couples!
Nyman (2003): Money has no automatic, fixed or natural meaning. It is defined by different couples!

35
Q

Pahl

A

Pooling does not necessarily lead to equality.

36
Q

Vogler et al

A

Cohabiting couples were less likely to pool their money but more likely to share domestic tasks!

37
Q

domestic violence definition

A

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

38
Q

Domestic Violence takes many forms:

A

> Physical Violence
Psychological Violence
Sexual Violence
Financial Violence

39
Q

DOBASH & DOBASH (1979)

A

Using interviews and police records, Dobash & Dobash found that many domestic assaults are set off by what husbands see as a challenge to their authority.

40
Q

DOBASH & DOBASH argue that…

A

that marriage legitimates violence by creating an unequal relationship whereby women become dependant on their husbands.

41
Q

Walby & Allen (2004)

A

Women were much more likely to be victims of multiple incidents of abuse and sexual violence.

42
Q

Ansara & Hindin (2011)

A

Women suffered more psychological effects and more likely to fear their partners.

43
Q

Dar (2013)

A

Incidents can occur so frequently that it can be difficult to reliably count the instances

44
Q

THE PROBLEMS WITH REPORTING AND RECORDING

A

REPORTING: Domestic violence is the least reported violent crime. (Yearnshire 1997)
RECORDING: Police and prosecutors are more reluctant to record, investigate and prosecute. Cheal (1991) argues that the state is reluctant to become involved in family matters for 3 reasons:

45
Q

Cheal (1991) argues that the state is reluctant to become involved in family matters for 3 reasons:

A

-The family sphere private. The state should only have limited access.
-Women are free to leave if they want.
-Family is good. The state tends to ignore the ‘darker side’.

46
Q

Women are free to leave if they want. However…

A

However, the reason fails to take into account that male violence is often accompanied with economic power. Some women simply can’t afford to leave!

47
Q

THE RADICAL FEMINIST EXPLANATION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A

Firestone (1970) & Millett (1970) agree with Dobash & Dobash in that marriage is linked to domestic violence.
Men dominate women in society through domestic violence and the threat of it, which is inevitable in a patriarchal society.

48
Q

THE MATERIALIST EXPLANATION: Wilkinson & Pickett (2010)

A

Focuses on economic factors: EG housing and income.
Wilkinson & Pickett (2010): Low income or living in overcrowded accommodation=higher stress=higher risk of violence