Couples

Question 1

The Division of Labour

Answer 1

• In the traditonal nuclear family, the women has an expressive role and the husband has an instrumental role
• Parson’s theory on the domestic division of labour is that the instrumental role is the breadwinner, the expressive role is to be the home-maker
• Young and Wilmott disagree saying that men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks
• Feminists reject Parson’s view that the division is biological, they argue it is socially constructed to benefit men
• Elizabeth Bott distinguishes two types of conjugal roles, joint and segregated roles
  Joint roles are where the partners have interchangeable and flexible roles within the house, they are both in paid employment and share decision making
  Segregated roles are when partners have clearly separated roles within the family, they also have separate friends and activities.
• Elizabeth Bott states that the most determining factor when deciding these roles is the friendship circle, in a loose knit circle, the roles are easier to integrate. In a tight knit circle, the roles are harder to integrate
  The Symmetrical family = Young and Wilmott
• They take a march of progress view of the family, arguing it is gradually improving in equality. The family is more symmetrical and share joint conjugal roles
  There are four reasons for the increase in symmetrical family:
  1. Change in women positions = Now in paid employment
  2. Geographical Mobility = They may move from their social network
  3. New Technology = Help make domestic labour easier
  4. Higher standards of living = Need to keep cleaner
  Feminists disagree with this and argue:
• Ann Oakley did an interview studying how much childcare and household chores husband partook in, husband only did pleasurable childcare
• Boulton argues less than 20% have a major role in childcare
• Warde and Hetherington argue sex-typing of domestic chores is still prominent, such as washing up and cleaning the car. There has been a slight change in attitudes in younger couples

Question 2

Couples becoming more equal