Domestic Division Of Labour

Question 1

What are the 2 roles regarding division of labour according to Parsons?

Answer 1

Instrumental (men)

Expressive (women)

Question 2

Why are women more suited to the expressive role and men more suited to the instrumental role?

Answer 2

Biological differences

Question 3

Willmott and Young’s criticism of Pasons’ division of labour?

Answer 3

Men are taking part in a greater share of domestic tasks and more wives have become wage earners

Question 4

2 tyoes of conjugal roles (Bott)

Answer 4

Joint and segregated

Question 5

Define the symmetrical family? (W+Y) Give an example

Answer 5

Although the roles of husbands and wives are not identical, they are much more similar

Women now go out to work, but this may be part time instead of full time

Question 6

What demographic is the symmetrical family most common in?

Answer 6

Younger, affluent couples

Question 7

Feminist view of housework

Answer 7

Women still do most of the housework because of patriarchy and W+Y’s claims are exaggerated

Question 8

Oakley’s study on housewives

Answer 8

Only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework

Only 25% of husbands had high participation in childcare

Question 9

Boulton’s findings (feminist)

Answer 9

Less than 25% of men had a major role in childcare

Question 10

Geshuny’s arguement (march of progress)

Answer 10

Women working full time led to a more equal division of labour. These women did less domestic labour than others.

Question 11

British social attitudes survey (march of progress)

Answer 11

The % of people who think its a man’s job to earn money and a women’s job to look after the home is falling

1984= 45% of men agreed
2012= 13% of men agreed

Question 12

British social attitudes survey (feminist)

Answer 12

Overall, women do twice as much domestic labour.

60% of women felt that this was unfair.

Women are more likely to shop for groceries or do laundry

Question 13

Ferri and Smith findings (feminist)

Answer 13

Fathers took responsibilty in childcare in fewer than 4% of households

Question 14

What is emotion work? Sociologist?

Answer 14

Managing emotions and feelings of family members which combined with paid work and domestic labour makes the triple shift.

Hochschild

Question 15

What are the two explanations for unequal division of labour?

Answer 15

1. Cultural explanation

2. Material explanation

Question 16

Define the cultural explanation?

Answer 16

Division of labour is predetermined by patriarchal norms in society

Question 17

Define the material explanation?

Answer 17

Division of labour is explained by the fact that women earn less so it is economically rational to do more domestic labour

Question 18

Evidence for the cultural explanation

Answer 18

Gershuny: couples whose parents had equal relationships were more likely to share housework equally

Dunne: lesbian couples had more symmetrical relationships because of an absense of straight gender scripts

Question 19

Evidence for the material explanation

Answer 19

Kan: for every £10 000 more a yr a woman earns, she does two hours less housework per week

Ramos: when woman is the breadwinner and the man is unemployed, he does more domestic labour

Question 20

2 types of control over family income according to Pahl and Volger

Answer 20

Allowance system

Pooling: both partners have joint responsibility for expenditure

Question 21

Pahl and Volger- pooling

Answer 21

Even where there was pooling, men made major financial decisions

Question 22

Hardill: important decisions

Answer 22

Important decisions typically made by men alone and their careers took priority when deciding whether to move for a new job

Question 23

Edgell- why do men make decisions?

Answer 23

They earn more and women are usually economically dependent

Question 24

Smart- resources in homosexual relationships

Answer 24

Les likely to see control of money as meaning either equality or inequality