Couples

Question 1

In the traditional nuclear family, roles of couples are segregated. What kind of different roles do males and females in a household occupy according to Parsons?

Answer 1

• The husband has an instrumental role, geared towards being a breadwinner.
• Wife has an expressive role, geared towards primary socialisation of children and meeting the family’s emotional needs.

Question 2

How does Parsons justify the division of labour between males and females?

Answer 2

Parson argues the division is based on biological differences, with women being naturally suited to the nurturing role and men to that of being the breadwinner. He claims that this division of labour is beneficial to society.

Question 3

How do Michael Young and Peter Wilmott argue against Parsons’ views?

Answer 3

Michael Young and Peter Wilmott argue that men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks and more are becoming wage earners in response to Parsons.

Question 4

How would a feminist criticise Parsons?

Answer 4

Feminist sociologists reject Parsons’ view that the division of labour is natural. In addition, they argue it only benefits men.

Question 5

Elizabeth Bott distinguishes between two types of roles within the marriage. What are these roles?

Answer 5

Elizabeth Bott divides roles within the marriage to two.

• Joint conjugal roles, where the couple shares tasks such as housework and spend their leisure time together.
• Segregated conjugal roles, where couples have separate roles. Male as breadwinner, female as the homemaker, according to Parsons’ family roles. Leisure activities also separate.

Question 6

Name the two sociologists who have identified a pattern of segregated conjugal roles in their study of traditional working class extended families in east London.

• Men spent leisure time out in pubs
• Women were full-time housewives

Answer 6

Young and Wilmott.

Evaluation to their point can be that this statistic is outdated. (the 1950’s)

Question 7

What does the ‘march of progress’ sociologists claim about the family?

Answer 7

March of progress view states that the family life is gradually improving for all of its members, becoming more equal and democratic.

Question 8

Which two ‘march of progress’ sociologists claim that there has been a gradual change away from segregated conjugal roles and towards joint conjugal roles and the ‘symmetrical family’?

Answer 8

Young and Wilmott.

Question 9

What does ‘symmetrical family’ mean?

Answer 9

A family, in which the roles of husbands and wives, although not identical are much more similar.

Question 10

List the pieces of evidence that Young and Wilmott use to prove the symmetrical family.

Answer 10

• Women go out to work, although this may be part-time rather than full-time
• Men now help with housework and childcare.
• Couples now spend their leisure time together instead of separately

Question 11

In their study of families in London, Young and Wilmott have found that symmetrical family was more common in a certain type of couples. Which types of couples are more likely to have symmetrical families?

Answer 11

• Young couples

- Affluent couples (better off)

Question 12

List the major social changes that have taken place during the past century which according to Young and Wilmott allowed the symmetrical nuclear family to rise.

Answer 12

• Changes in women’s position, including married women going out to work
• Geographical mobility, with more couples living away from the communities in which they grew up.
• New technology and labour-saving devices
• Higher standards of living

Question 13

Why do feminists reject the ‘march of progress’ view?

Answer 13

Feminists argue that very little has changed. Men and women remain unequal within the family and women still do most of the housework. They claim that the source of this inequality is patriarchy within the family.

Question 14

Which feminist criticises Young and Wilmott’s view that family is symmetrical?

Answer 14

Ann Oakley

Question 15

How does the feminist Ann Oakley argue that Young and Wilmott’s claims on the family are exaggerated?

Answer 15

She claims that although Young and Wilmott found that husbands who they have interviewed have ‘helped’ their wives, simple and minimal tasks such as making breakfast once or taking the children out for a walk is hardly convincing evidence of symmetry.

Question 16

What does Ann Oakley’s research on housewives suggest about husbands?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What does Ann Oakley state on husbands who might be involved in childcare?

Answer 17

She states that husbands were more likely to pick up aspects of childcare that were more pleasurable such as playing with them. This would take off the rewards of childcare for mother.

Question 18

Which feminist sociologist develops Ann Oakley’s research on husband involvement in families?

Answer 18

Mary Boulton.

Question 19

How does Mary Boulton support Ann Oakley’s findings?

Answer 19

According to Boulton’s research, fewer than %20 of husbands had a major role in childcare.

Question 20

How does Mary Boulton criticise Young and Wilmott?

Answer 20

She argues that Young and Wilmott exaggerate men’s contribution by looking at the tasks involved in childcare rather than responsibilities. She argues that a father might help, but it is always the mother who was responsible for the child’s security and well-being.

Question 21

What did Alan Warde and Kevin Hetherington find on domestic division of labour?

Answer 21

They have found that partners were more likely to do tasks that were associated with their genders.

• Wives were 30 times more likely to be the last person to do the washing.
• Husbands were four times more likely to be the last person to wash the car.

In short, they have found that men would only carry out the routine female tasks if their partner were not around to do them.

Question 22

What two questions does the trend of both partners working raise?

Answer 22

• Is it leading to a more equal division of domestic tasks? (March of progress)
• Does it simply mean now women have to carry a ‘dual burden’? (Feminist)

Question 23

What does Jonathan Gershuny, a march of progress sociologist claim on couples being more equal?

Answer 23

He claims that women working full-time is leading to a more equal division of labour in home. Using time studies, he found that women who worked did less work than other women.

Question 24

What did the march of progress sociologist Oriel Sullivan found?

Answer 24

Sullivan examined nationally representitive data collected in 1975, 1987 and 1997. She found that there is a trend towards women doing a smaller share of domestic work and men doing more.

Question 25

What did British Social Attitudes survey show on opinions about domestic division of labour?

Answer 25

The survey shows a fall in people who think it is the man’s job to earn and woman’s job to look after the family.
1984 - %45 men and %41 women agreed with this view.
2012- Only %13 of men and %12 of women have agreed.

Question 26

What does the feminist view on division of labour suggests?

Answer 26

Feminists claim that women going into paid work has not led to greater equality in the division of labour but led to a ‘dual burden’.

Question 27

What does British Social Attitudes Survey show?

Answer 27

Overall, it shows that the domestic division of labour is not equal and women do twice times more domestic work than men.

It also shows that couples are more likely to take part in stereotypical jobs. - %70 of men repairing the home.

Question 28

What does Graham Allan, a feminist sociologist claim on the division of labour?

Answer 28

Allan claims that women’s tasks such as washing and cleaning are less intrinsically satisfying.

Question 29

What did Ferri and Smith find on division and labour, supporting Boulton’s claim that women are responsible in childcare?

Answer 29

Ferri and Smith found that fathers took responsibility for childcare in fewer than %4 of families.

Question 30

What have Dex and Ward found out, supporting Boulton’s argument?

Answer 30

Dex and Ward have found that although fathers had quite high levesls of involvement with their 3 year olds, when it came to caring for a sick child, only %1 of fathers took the main responsibility.

Question 31

What did Braun, Vincent and Ball found out, supporting Boulton?

Answer 31

They have found 3/70 fathers in households which were studied was the father main carer. Most were ‘background fathers’.

Question 32

What did Hoschild find about ‘emotion work’ and triple shift?

Answer 32

Hoschild calls the act of taking responsibility for other family members ‘emotion work’. Feminists have noted that women are often required to perform the emotion work.

Question 33

What didJean Duncombe and Dennis Marsden argue on emotion work and the triple shift?

Answer 33

They argue that women have to perform a ‘triple shift’ of housework, paid work and emotion work.

Question 34

What does Dale Southerton claim about taking responsibility for ‘quality time’?

Answer 34

Quality time is the responsibility of managing a family’s time together. It usually falls on mothers, according to Southerton. Achieving quality time is also becoming more difficult for mothers. He also has found that leisure time of women are more likely to be interrupted by children whereas men do not have this.

Question 35

What did Crompton and Lyonette claim?

Answer 35

The gendered division of labour is down to cultural/ideological factors of material/economic factors.

Question 36

What is a cultural/ideological factor, according to Crompton and Lyonette?

Answer 36

In this view, the division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values that shape gender roles in our culture. Women perform more domestic work simply because society expects them to do so.

Question 37

What is a material/economic view according to Cromton and Lyonette?

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Show one evidence for cultural explanation and material explanation that Crompton and Lyonette claim.

Answer 38

Cultural - Gershuny found that couples whose parents had a more equal relationship are more likely to share housework equally themselves.

Material- Kan found that for every 10,000 a year more a woman earns, she does two hours less housework per week.

Question 39

What did Elainen Kempson find on resources and decision making in households?

Answer 39

Elaine Kemspon found that working-class women usually deny their own needs for the sake of other family members. (Not going out for leisure or eating smaller food portions.) even in high income families, resources are shared unequally.

Question 40

What did Stephen Edgell found on resources and decision making in households?

Answer 40

He found out that men usually take important decisions in the family. (e.g. moving houses and new jobs)
However, Laurie and Gershuny found that 70% of couples have an equal say in important decisions.

Question 41

What did Dobash and Dobash find on domestic violence within households?

Answer 41

Based on research in Scotland, they have found out that women are more likely to experience domestic violence.

Question 42

What did Stephanie Yearnshire found out on domestic violence?

Answer 42

She found out that women are unlikely to report Domestic violence. Her research showed that on average women are assaulted 35 times before they report the violence.

Question 43

What did David Cheal found on domestic abuse?

Answer 43

David Cheal explained that women are unlikely to report domestic violence because police and other agencies do not take the crime seriously and do not want to get involved in family life.

Question 44

What did Millet and Firestone found out about domestic violence?

Answer 44

They have found that domestic violence is inevitable because society is patriarchal and the family is a key institution in patriarchal societies.

Question 45

What did Wilkinson and Pickett found out about domestic violence?

Answer 45

They have found out that domestic violence is mainly caused by stress on family members due to social inequality. Low income families are more at risk of suffering it.