Division Of Labour (FUNCTIONALIST) Flashcards
Define “Division Of Labour”
the separation of a work process into a number of tasks, with each task performed by a separate person or group of persons
What is a nuclear family?
A nuclear family refers to a household consisting of a father, a mother, and their children, all in one household dwelling.
What do Functionalists argue about the household structure?
Functionalists argue the household consists of a nuclear family with a clear gender division of labour, but a ‘great march of progress’ is making positive change.
Who argued for the traditional nuclear family with distinct gender roles in 1955?
Talcott Parsons.
What are the two gender roles in Talcott Parsons’ traditional nuclear family?
The instrumental, ‘breadwinner’ husband/father, and the expressive, ‘homemaker’ wife/mother.
What is meant by the ‘segregated conjugal role’?
The separation of roles where the husband is the breadwinner and the wife is the homemaker, responsible for socialisation and emotional labour.
Who identified separated conjugal roles in 1957?
Michael Young and Peter Willmott.
How did Young and Willmott describe men’s and women’s leisure time in segregated conjugal roles?
Men enjoyed leisure with workmates in pubs, while women had limited leisure time with kin.
What trend did Young and Willmott explore in 1973?
The trend towards the ‘symmetrical family’.
What characterizes the ‘symmetrical family’ according to Young and Willmott?
Couples share tasks and spend leisure time together.
What factors contributed to the trend towards joint conjugal roles in the ‘symmetrical family’?
Feminist gains for women and geographic mobility.
