Couples - resources control

Question 1

Resource and decision making

How is it inequal

Kempson?

Answer 1

• the control between who has control over family reesouces also = inequality. Its noted that women do far more domestic labour then what men financially give back. The financial support is also often unpredictable and have a ‘catch’ to it. Men usually make decisions of spending in family.
• its proved by Kempson, that sharing resources isn’t equal e.g she found w/c women denied their own needs by eating less or skipping meals to meet needs of member.
• its show women dont have entitlement to resources in her wn right. She is more likely to see money for herself is needed to be spent on children. Even in houses with good income, this inequality exists.

Question 2

Money management: who identifies which two ways of controlling income in family.

Answer 2

Pahl and vogler identify the allowance and pooling system:
1) allowance - with man giving an budgeted amount for family needs and themselve and any left over goes for the man
2) pooling system - joint resposibility for spending and both have same access to income.

Question 3

Is the pooling sytem equal?

Edgells study of couples and decisons:

Answer 3

• Its often assumed that pooling system is equal. Although its more equal then allowance its known for pooling system according to pahl and vogler that men have more control over decisions.
• edgell
  -very importyant decision: e.g moving house or job or finance either taken by man only or jointly but man has the final say.
• important decisons - e.g childs education or holidays were jointly made and rarely but women alone
  -less important: e.g home decor, child clothes/ food purchase made by women alone.
• edgell says this may be bcos women earn less and so are financially dependent on men n have less say in decisons.
• however Gershuny, found that 70% of couples by 1995 said they have equal say in decisions and found women with high earnings were more likely to have equal say

Question 4

Meaning of money

Answer 4

Pahl argues pooling doesnt always = equality and it depends on who controls pooled money

Question 5

Critisims of the Cultural vs material explanations

Answer 5

Feminists argue that difference in decision making isnt just bcos of earning but the cultural views and beliefs of men in this patriachal society and only challenging these views will get equality.

Question 6

Personal life perspective on money:

Answer 6

• focus on meaning an individual couple has on money - just bcos one partner controls money doesnt mean inequality as they may not have that meaning.
  -Smart, shows gay couples have controlling meaning to money
  -Weeks et al, shown that typical patterns of pooling money for household needs and seprate accounts for personal spending.