Couples

Question 1

Parsons instrumental and expressive roles

Answer 1

In the traditional nuclear family, the role of husbands and wives are segregated. Parsons functionalist Model of a family shows a clear division of labour between spouses.

Question 2

Parsons, instrumental and expressive roles
The husband has an instrumental role

Answer 2

He is geared towards achieving success at work, so he can provide for the family

Question 3

Parsons, instrumental and expressive roles
The wife has an expressive role

Answer 3

She is geared towards primary socialisation for the children and meeting the families emotional needs.

Question 4

Parsons, instrumental and expressive roles
Division of labour

Answer 4

Parsons argues that the division of labour is based on biological differences with the women naturally suited to the natural role and claims that this division of labour is beneficial to both men and women as well as the wider society.

Question 5

Parsons, instrumental and expressive roles
Criticism to Parsons
Young and Wilmott 1962

Answer 5

They argue that men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks and more wives are becoming wage earners

Question 6

Parsons, instrumental and expressive roles
Criticism to Parsons
Feminists

Answer 6

They reject Parsons view that the division of labour is natural, and they argue that it’s only beneficial to men.

Question 7

Joint and segregated conjugal roles
Elisabeth Bott 1957, 2 conjugal roles
segregated conjugal role

Answer 7

Where the cop will have separate roles, a male as the breadwinner and the female as the homemaker, their leisure activities tend to also be separate.

Question 8

Joint and segregated conjugal roles
Elizabeth bott 1957, 2 conjugal roles
Joint conjugal role

Answer 8

Where the couples share tasks, such as housework and childcare and spend their leisure time together

Question 9

Joint and segregated conjugal roles
Young and Wilmot study of traditional w/c families in the 50s london

Answer 9

men were the bread winners, and they played little part in home life and spent their leisure time with workmates at the pub where as women were full-time housewives with the limited leisure time.

Question 10

The symmetrical family
Young and Wilmot, 1973
March of progress view of the history of family

Answer 10

They see family life as a gradually improving for all of its members, and becoming more equal. They argue that there has been a trend towards joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family.

Question 11

What is a symmetrical family?

Answer 11

Where the roles of husbands and wives are more similar, women go to work, although this may be part time, men help with housework and couples spend leisure time together.

Question 12

Symmetrical families
Young and willmott
Young couples

Answer 12

They found that symmetrical family was more common among younger couples, who are socially isolated and more affluent.

Question 13

Major social changes in the last century that drove up symmetrical families.

Answer 13

Changes in woman’s position
Geographical mobility
New technology,
higher standards of living

Question 14

The feminist view of housework

Answer 14

They reject the march of progress that men and women have become more equal within terms of housework. They see this inequality as stemming from the fact that the family and society are male dominated and women remain subordinate.

Question 15

The feminist view of housework
Ann Oakley 1974
Criticism of young and willmott

Answer 15

She argues that their view that families are now symmetrical are exaggerate claims. As husbands only helped their wives out by simply taking the children out for a walk on one occasion.

Question 16

A feminist view on housework
Ann Oakley
Research on housewives

Answer 16

Found the only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework and only 25% had a high level of participation in childcare. Husband would only participate in the more pleasurable aspects of childcare and housework.

Question 17

A feminist view of housework
Ann Oakley
A “good father”

Answer 17

A good father was one who would play with the children in the evenings however, this could mean that mothers lost their rewards of childcare and left with more time for housework.

Question 18

A feminist view of housework
Mary Boulton 1983

Answer 18

Found fewer than 20% of husbands had a major role in childcare and argues that young and Wilmots exaggerate men’s contribution by only looking at tasks involved in childcare rather than responsibilities.

Question 19

Feminist view of housework
Alan Ward and Kevin, Hetherington, 1993
Sex typing

Answer 19

Found that sex typing of domestic tasks remain strong as wives were 30x more likely to be the last person to have done the washing. They also found that men would only carry out routine ‘female’ tasks when their partners are not around to do them.

Question 20

A feminist view of housework
Ward and Hetherington
Young couples and sex typing

Answer 20

They found slight change of attitudes among younger men. They no longer assume that women should do the housework and more more likely to think they were doing less than their fair share.

Question 21

Are couples becoming more equal
Impact of paid work

Answer 21

Most of the women in Oakley study in the 1970s were full-time housewives, but today many more wives go out to work.

Question 22

The impact of paid work
The two questions raised by women going to work.

Answer 22

1. Is it leading to a more equal division of domestic tasks with a man, taking responsibility and doing equal share of the housework and childcare?
2. Or are woman now having to carry a dual burden of paid work as well as domestic work.

Question 23

What is The march of progress within the context of families and households

Answer 23

Refers to the how families and couples have evolved over time and if they have progressed. The idea was based on functionalist theories, especially on the works of Parsons.

Question 24

The march of progress view
Wilmot and Young

Answer 24

They argue that women going out to work is leading to a more equal division of labour at home. In this march of progress, Men are becoming more involved in housework and childcare.

Question 25

The March of progress view
Jonathan Gurshuny 1994

Answer 25

Argues that women working full time is leading to a more equal division of labour in home.

Question 26

The match of progress view
Oriel Sullivan 2000

Answer 26

Analysis of nationally representative data found a trend towards women doing a smaller share of domestic work and men doing more. Her analysis showed an increase in the number of couples with an equal division of labour.

Question 27

The march of progressive view
The British social attitude survey 2013

Answer 27

Found a fall in the number of people who think it is the man’s job to earn the money and the women’s to look after the home. In 1984, 45% of men and 41% of women agreed, but by 2012, only 13% of men and 12% women agreed.

Question 28

Are couples becoming more equal
The feminist view

Answer 28

In the view of feminist sociologists, women going into paid work has not led to greater equality. They claim that Women now carry a dual burden.

Question 29

Are couples becoming more equal
The feminist view
The British social attitude survey 2013
How much do Men do?

Answer 29

Found that in 2012 men on average did 8 hours a week, whereas women did 13. Men on average spent 10 hours on care for family members, whereas women spent 23.

Question 30

Are couples becoming more equal
The feminist view
The British social attitude survey 2013
Who does what?

Answer 30

The survey found that couples continue to divide household tasks along traditional gender lines. Women were much more likely to do the laundry and care for sick family members, while the men were more likely to do small repairs around the house.

Question 31

Are couples becoming more equal
The feminist view
The British social attitude survey, 2013
Graham Allen 1985

Answer 31

The survey failed to measure the qualitative differences in the tasks men and women perform. Allen argues that women’s tasks such as washing are less satisfying.

Question 32

Taking responsibility for the children
Ferri and smith (1996) support of boultons view of fathers lack of childcare tasks

Answer 32

Found that father took responsibility for childcare and fewer than 4% of families.

Question 33

Taking responsibility for the children
Braun, Vincent and Paul, 2011 support of Boultons view that father’s lack childcare tasks

Answer 33

Found the only 3/70 families studied, the father was the main carer. Most were background fathers (only helping due to the relationship with their partner), and most fathers held a “provider ideology”.

Question 34

What is the provider ideology?

Answer 34

When fathers believe that their role is to provide and work for the family.

Question 35

Emotion work
Arlie Russel Hochschild 2013

Answer 35

Taking responsibility for other family members is what Arlie called ‘emotion work’. Feminist noted that women are required to perform emotion work. they are responsible for managing the emotions and feelings of the family members, like jealousies.

Question 36

The triple shift of mothers
Jean Duncombe and Dennis Marsdean 1995

Answer 36

Argue that women have to perform a triple shift of housework, paid work and emotion work.

Question 37

Taking responsibility for quality time
Dale Southerton 2011

Answer 37

Where the mothers are responsible for managing, coordinating and scheduling the families quality time. This is become more difficult in today’s modern society, due to flexible working patterns and the 24/7 society.

Question 38

Taking responsibility for quality time
Dale Southerton and the mothers struggle to schedule quality time in today’s society.

Answer 38

Southerton argues that mothers find themselves struggling the demands of work and career, personal leisure time and family. Mothers claims to be ‘pushed for time’.

Question 39

Taking responsibility for quality time
Dale Southerton
Leisure time

Answer 39

men and women have unequal leisure time and have different experiences of it. Men are uninterrupted, whereas women’s leisure time is often interrupted by childcare. Women are more likely to multitask indicating that women are carrying a dual burden.

Question 40

Explaining the divisions of labour
Rosemary Compton and Claire Lyonette 2008
2 explanations for unequal division of labour
The cultural or ideological explanation

Answer 40

The division of labour is determined by the patriarchal norms and values that shape the gender roles in our culture. Women perform more domestic labour because that is what society expects them to do.

Question 41

Explaining the gender division of labour
Rosemary Crompton and Claire Lyonette 2008
The two explanations for unequal division of labour
The material or economic explanation

Answer 41

The fact that women generally earn less than men means is economically rational for women to do more of the housework and childcare while men spend more of their time, earning money.

Question 42

Explaining the gender division of labour
Gurshuny 1994 younger couples
Evidence for the cultural explanation for unequal division of labour

Answer 42

Found the couples, his parents had amore equal relationship, I’m more likely to share housework, equally themselves, suggesting that parental role models are important and that social values are gradually adapting to women’s paid work.

Question 43

Explaining the gender division of labour
The British social attitude survey 2013
Evidence for the cultural explanation for the unequal division of labour

Answer 43

The survey found that less than 10% of under 35s agreed with traditional division of labour as against 30% of over 65s. This indicates a long-term changing norms, values and attitudes, reflecting changes in gender role, socialisation of younger age groups.

Question 44

Explaining the gender division of labour
Gillian Dunne 1999
Evidence for the culture, explanation for the unequal division of labour

Answer 44

Found that lesbian couples had more symmetrical relationships because of the absence of traditional heterosexual gender scripts. this allows lesbian couples to create a more equal relationship.

Question 45

Explaining the gender division of labour
Kan
Evidence for the material explanation for the unequal division of labour

Answer 45

Found that for every £10,000 a year, more a woman earns. she does two hours less housework per week.

Question 46

Explaining the gender division of labour
Sara Arber and Jay Ginn 1995
Evidence for the material explanation labour saving devices

Answer 46

Found that better paid, middle-class women were more able to buy in commercially produce products such as labour, saving devices, ready meals and domestic help.

Question 47

Explaining the gender division of labour
Oriel Sullivan
Evidence for the material explanation for the unequal division of labour

Answer 47

Shows that working full-time rather than part-time makes the biggest difference in terms of how much domestic work each partner does. She suggests that this may be because working full-time brings women’s earnings much closer to their partners

Question 48

Patriarchal society and women work

Answer 48

Patriarchal, norms and values shapes societies expectations about the domestic roles that men and women perform. Patriarchy insures that women earn less at work and so have less bargaining power in the home.

Question 49

Criticism to material explanations of the unequal division of labour
Rosemary crompton 1997

Answer 49

in 7/8 households men earn more, because women, especially with young children, are more likely to work part time. There is no immediate prospect of a more equal division of labour if this depends on economic equality between the sexes.

Question 50

Evidence for the material explanation for the unequal division of labour

Answer 50

If women join the labourforce and earn as much as their partners, we should expect to see men and women doing more equal amounts of domestic work

Question 51

Resources and decision making in households
Michelle Barret and Mary McIntosh 1991

Answer 51

Men gain far more from women’s domestic work then they give back and often what they give back is unpredictable and comes with “strings” attached. Men also make the decisions about spending on important items.

Question 52

The sharing of resources such as money food equally
Elaine Kempson 1994

Answer 52

Found that among low income families, women denied their own needs by eating smaller portions, or skipping meals in order to make ends meet. Resources being shared equally may leave women in poverty.

Question 53

Money management
Jan Pahl and Carolyn Volgar 1993
The two types of control control over family income

Answer 53

The allowance system, where men give their wives an allowance out of which they have to budget to meet the families needs, and the man retaining any surplus income for himself.

Question 54

Money management
Jan Pahl and Carolyn Volgar 1993
The types of control over family income

Answer 54

Pooling, where both partners have access to income and joint responsibility for expenditure, they may have a joint bank account. Pooling is on an increase in the most common money management system.

Question 55

Decision making
Pooled income

Answer 55

Pooled income is overly controlled by the husband and tends to give men more power in major financial decisions. however, not as much as the allowance system.

Question 56

Decision-making
Pahl and Volgar 2007

Answer 56

Found that even where there was pooling, the men usually made the major financial decisions.

Question 57

Decision-making
Irene Hardill 1997
Study of 30 dual career professional couples

Answer 57

Found that the important decisions were usually taken either by the man, alone or jointly, and his career normally took priority, when deciding whether to move for a house or new job.

Question 58

Decision-making
Stephen edgell 1980
Study of professional couples

Answer 58

Found that very important decision involving finance were taken by the husband alone or jointly, important decisions such as children’s education were usually taken by the wife alone or jointly and less important decisions were taken by the wife.

Question 59

Decision-making
Stephen Edgell 1980
The reason for men making important financial decisions

Answer 59

The reason men are likely to take the decision is that they earn more and women usually earn less than their husbands, and are dependent on them economically. Therefore tend to not have say in decision-making.

Question 60

Decision-making
Laurie and Gurshuny 2000
Equality in financial decision-making

Answer 60

Found that by 1995, 70% of couples said they had equal say in decisions, women who were high earning and well qualified professionals were more likely to have an equal say.

Question 61

Cultural explanations of inequality and decision making
Feminists

Answer 61

argue that inequalities in decision-making, are the result of patriarchal cultural definitions, which have been deeply ingrained in both men and women and instilled through general socialisation. This reflects the cultural explanation of gender inequality.

Question 62

Meaning of money
John Pahl
Does Pooling of money always mean there is inequality?

Answer 62

We need to understand who controls the money and how much is put in by both parties. if the men earns more than the women, but both put in the same amount as this equality?

Question 63

Meaning of money
Carolyn Volgar
If each partner keeps their money separately, does this always mean inequality?

Answer 63

Found that cohabiting couples were less likely to pull their money, perhaps a desire to maintain independence, however, cohabiting couples are more likely than married couples to share domestic tasks

Question 64

The meaning of money
Charlotte Nyman 2003

Answer 64

Notes that money has no automatic, fix or natural, meaning and different couples can define it in different ways, these meanings can reflect the nature of the relationship.

Question 65

A “personal life” perspective on money

Answer 65

The personal life perspective focuses on the meanings couples give to who controls the money. We might assume that one partner controlling the money is a sign of inequality, but some couples may not have this meaning.

Question 66

A personal life perspective on money
Carol Smart 2007
Gay and lesbian couples

Answer 66

Found some gay men and lesbians attached no importance to who controls money and happy to leave this to their partners. They don’t see the control of money as equality or inequality.

Question 67

A personal life perspective on money
Jeffrey weeks 2001
Co independence money management of same sex couples

Answer 67

They pooled some money for household spending Together with separate accounts for personal spending. This allows both partners to maintain a sense of independence.

Question 68

A personal life perspective on money
Carrol Smart 2007
The great of freedom, the same sex couples

Answer 68

Same-sex couples have more freedom because they do not enter relationships with the same historical gendered, heterosexual, baggage, or cultural meanings around money, and don’t see money as a source of power.

Question 69

Domestic abuse
Sociologists view that domestic violence does not occur randomly

Answer 69

Sociologist believe that domestic violence follows particular, social patterns and these patterns are made by social causes. The most striking of these patterns is that it is mainly violence by men against women.

Question 70

Domestic violence
The patterns of domestic violence
Catherine Coleman 2007

Answer 70

Found that women were more likely than men to have experienced intimate violence across all four types of abuse

Question 71

Domestic violence
Dobash and Dobash on what set off domestic violent incidents

Answer 71

They found that violent incidents could be set off by what a husband saw as a challenge to his authority. Marriage legitimises violence against women by conferring power and authority on husband.

Question 72

Domestic abuse
Donna AnSara and Michelle Hindin 2011
Significance of gender gap

Answer 72

Found that women suffered more severe violent and control with more serious psychological effects, and that women were more likely than meant to be fearful of their partners.

Question 73

Official statistics on domestic violence understate the extent of the problem
Stephanie Yearnshire 1997

Answer 73

Victims may be unwilling to report it to the police. Stephanie Found that on average a woman’s suffers 35 assaults before making a report.

Question 74

Official statistics on domestic violence understate the extent of the problem
David Cheal 1991

Answer 74

Police officers may be reluctant to record it. David said that the reluctance is due to the fact that police and other state agencies are not prepared to become involved in family.

Question 75

The three assumptions that the police and other state agencies make about family life

Answer 75

1. Family is a private sphere and access by state agency should be limited.
2. Family is a good things that agencies tend to neglect the darker side of family.
3. Individuals are free agents, so if a woman is experiencing abuse she is free to leave

Question 76

Explanations of domestic violence
The two types of explanations of domestic violence

Answer 76

• The radical feminist explanation
  Emphasises the role of patriarchal ideas, cultural values and institutions
• The materialist explanation
  Emphasises economic factors, such as lack of resources.

Question 77

The radical feminist explanation of domestic violence.
Kate millet, shulamith Firestone 1970

Answer 77

Argue that all societies have been founded on patriarchy and see the key division and society, as between men and women men are the enemy, and they are the oppresses and exploiters of women.

Question 78

The radical feminist explanation of domestic violence
Why men commit the most domestic violence?

Answer 78

Radical feminists see that family and marriage as the key institution in patriarchal society, men dominate women through domestic violence, the widespread domestic violence is an inevitable feature of patriarchal society

Question 79

The radical feminist explanation of domestic violence
Male domination of state institutions

Answer 79

The male domination of state institutions helps explain the reluctance of police and courts to deal effectively with cases of domestic violence.

Question 80

The radical feminist explanation
Faith Robertson Elliott 1996
Rejects the claim

Answer 80

Faith rejects, the radical feminist claim that all men benefit from violence against women, because not all men are aggressive, and most are oppressed to domestic violence.

Question 81

Criticism to radical feminist explanations of domestic violence

Answer 81

Radical feminist failed to explain, female violence, including child abuse by women and violence against male partners, and within lesbian relationships. They wrongly assume that all women are equally at risk of patriarchal violence.

Question 82

The materialist explanation for domestic violence

Answer 82

The materialist explanation focuses on the economic and material factors, such as inequalities and income and housing.

Question 83

The material explanation of domestic violence
Richard Wilkinson and Kate, Pickett, 2010

Answer 83

They see domestic violence as the result of stress on family members caused by social inequality. some families have fewer resources. those living in overcrowded accommodation are likely to experience high levels of stress

Question 84

The material explanations of domestic violence
Things that impact stable, caring relationships

Answer 84

Worries about money, jobs and housing may spill over into domestic conflict and the lack of money and time restricts peoples social circle and reduces social support for those under stress

Question 85

Marxist feminists on domestic violence
Fran Ansley, 1972

Answer 85

They see inequality, causing domestic violence, Fran describes wives as “takers of shit”, because she argues that domestic violence is the product of capitalism, men workers are exploited at work, and they take it out on their wives. Helps to explain why domestic violence is male violence against woman.