Domestic division of labour Flashcards
what is the functionalist argument?
household consists of a nuclear family with a gender division of labour
who is the evidence for the functionalist view?
Talcott Parsons
what did Parsons argue ?
Husband: instrumental, ‘breadwinner’ role, Wife: expressive, ‘homemaker’ role.
They call the separated roles, segregated conjugal roles.
what did Young and Willmott (1957) - first study argue ?
On the one hand, they found men were breadwinners who spent their time with workmates in pubs and clubs.
On the other hand, women were full-time housewives with the responsibility for housework and childcare, helped by their women kin relatives
– this supported Parsons idea of instrumental and expressive family roles.
what did Young and Willmott (1973) argue
trend away the nuclear family towards the symmetrical family.
young, rich couples were symmetrical.
This was caused by two changes: feminists’ improvement in the position of women and
the geographic mobility as couples moved away from their kinship communities.
what is the feminist point ?
the nuclear family and household remain as a patriarchal institution that exploits and oppress women.
who is the evidence for the pre-1990s feminist view?
Ann Oakley (1974)
what did Oakley argue ?
found that 15% of men participate in housework and 25% in childcare – shows little evidence for symmetry.
Men take part in the more pleasurable parts of childcare whilst the women take part in the boring parts.
who is the analysis for the pre -1990s feminists argument?
Mary Boulton (1983) found fewer than 20% of husbands had a major role in childcare.
argues that mothers had the overall responsibility of the child’s wellbeing.
what is the post-1990s feminist argument ?
triple shift - Unpaid, paid, emotional labour
who is the evidence for the post-1990s feminist argument?
Understanding Society (2022) - found that women spend 40% more time on unpaid work compared to men.
the shadow pandemic- increasing women’s responsibility for cooking, cleaning, and the education of children.
who is the analysis for the post 1990s argument?
Pahl and Vogler (2007)
what did Pahl and Vogler argue?
Men gain more from reproductive labour : - - they do not give back to the mother in financial support so unpaid work is never fully compensated.
Men use an allowance system – prevent them from building an independent life
Men continue to make the major decisions even when resources are shared
