domestic division of labour

Question 1

types of conjugal roles within marriage (Bott)

Answer 1

segregated conjugal roles - husband and wife have distinct and separate roles and leisure time e.g. wife does the housework while husband does paid work

joint conjugal roles - husband and wife share housework and leisure time

Question 2

domestic division of labour - functionalist view

Answer 2

the husband and wife’s role in the family is determined by biology and beneficial to both partners

the husband plays the instrumental role by working to provide for the family while the wife plays the expressive role by maintaining emotional stability within the family

Question 3

domestic division of labour - ao3 of functionalist view

Answer 3

lacks contemporary relevance - willmott and young argue men take on more domestic tasks and women are more involved in paid work

feminists argue the domestic division of labour is a social construct to reinforce patriarchy

Question 4

for the symmetrical debate - willmott and young

Answer 4

there has been a march of progress leading to a shift from segregated conjugal roles to joint conjugal roles within the family e.g. men used to spend leisure time at the pub with friends but now spend it with their wives

younger couples are more symmetrical due to modern developments e.g. new technology like washing machines and air fryers make housework less labour intensive, geographical mobility means nuclear families have to rely on themselves to work and do household chores

Question 5

against the symmetrical debate - oakley (ao3 for willmott and young)

Answer 5

found issues with willmott and young’s definition of a symmetrical family - they counted the man making breakfast once a week or taking the kids to the park as proof that the family is symmetrical

found only 15% of men had a high participation in housework and 25% in childcare

the father took part in the more pleasurable aspects of childcare leaving the mother to do housework in her spare time

Question 6

for the symmetrical family - sullivan

Answer 6

found a increase in an equal division of labour among couples and men doing ‘women’s tasks’ e.g. cooking, cleaning

in 1975 82% of husbands worked full time with their wife unemployed, which decreased to 73% in 1997, showing a shift towards equality within the family

Question 7

against the symmetrical family - duncombe and morsden, hoshschild (ao3 for sullivan)

Answer 7

women still perform the triple shift by completing paid work, housework and emotional labour

women are often expected to satisfy the family’s emotional needs such as cheering up the children when they hurt themselves or have had a fall out

Question 8

for the symmetrical family - british social attitudes

Answer 8

found changes in attitudes towards a man’s job to earn money and a women’s job to look after the home

only 1% thought men should do the laundry in 1994, compared 6% in 2012, similarly 48% agreed women should take care of sick family members in 1994 which decreased to 36% in 2012

Question 9

against the symmetrical family - southerton (ao3 for british social attitudes)

Answer 9

modern society life has become ‘de-routinised’ meaning we don’t do the same thing everyday, typically men get extended periods of uninterrupted leisure time whereas women may need to juggle childcare and other tasks

this suggests women carry a dual burden where they complete both paid work and childcare

the british social attitudes findings are too marginal to suggest any change, as women are still more likely to take care of sick family members and do the laundry

Question 10

for the symmetrical family - future foundations

Answer 10

found 60% of men claimed to do more housework than their fathers and 75% claimed to do less housework than their mothers

Question 11

against the symmetrical family - dex and ward (ao3 for future foundations)

Answer 11

women are still always responsible for their child’s security and wellbeing - although 78% of fathers play with their kids, only 1% took the responsibility of a sick child

this leaves women with the less enjoyable childcare tasks, supporting the idea that women are pushed into the expressive role

Question 12

explanations for the gendered division of labour - cultural explanation

Answer 12

the division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values - women do the housework more often because they are expected to

Question 13

evidence for the cultural explanation - gerschuny

Answer 13

couples who saw their parents have an equal relationship are more likely to have one themselves, meaning social values are gradually adapting to women working full time and men doing housework

known as ‘lagged adaption’

Question 14

evidence for the cultural explanation - british attitudes survey

Answer 14

less than 10% of those under 35 agreed with a traditional division of labour compared to 30% of those over 65

this shows a march of progress among the younger generation, meaning they are more likely to be symmetrical

Question 15

evidence of the cultural explanation - dunne

Answer 15

lesbian couples are more symmetrical than heterosexual couples - heterosexual couples are dictated to follow gender scripts by upholding the instrumental/expressive role whereas lesbian couples are not linked to gender scripts allowing them to be equal

Question 16

explaining the gendered division of labour - material explanation

Answer 16

as women generally earn less, it is economically rational for women to do more housework and childcare compared to men who work to provide for the family

Question 17

evidence of the material explanation - man ye kan

Answer 17

for every £10000 a woman earns, she does 2 hours less housework

more pay -> more responsibility = more hours at work, less hours at home

Question 18

evidence of the material explanation - arber and gin

Answer 18

equality depends on the social class position of women

middle class women have the money to afford full day childcare while they worked and to also buy time saving devices e.g. robot cleaners

working class women cannot afford these so are stuck doing low paid part time work and having childcare responsibilities

Question 19

evidence of the material explanation - silver and schor

Answer 19

housework has been commercialised - goods and services women once needed to produce on their own are now mass produced for supermarkets to sell e.g. ready meals, washing machines

this reduces the burden of domestic tasks as women can afford these services

Question 20

resources and decision making - kempson’s view

Answer 20

family members do not share resources equally e.g. women often go without in working class families by taking a smaller portion of food, skipping meals and not going out

women had no entitlement to a share of household resources e.g. house may be in husband’s name

Question 21

money management is equal - pahl and vogler

Answer 21

identified two types of control over family income

allowance system - men would give their wife an allowance to meet the family’s needs while he kept the rest
pooling - both partners have access to a shared income and joint responsibility for spending

pooling is now the most common money management system, showing money management is becoming more equal in the family

Question 22

money management is not equal - barrett and mcintosh

Answer 22

men gain more from women’s domestic work than they get back in finances e.g. they always have clean clothes and fresh food

financial support may come with strings attached e.g. women are expected to uphold the role of housewife or risk losing money

men still make important family decisions on spending e.g. buying a new house, where to go on holiday

Question 23

decision making is equal - gershuny

Answer 23

by 1995, 70% of couples said they had equal say in decisions

women who also worked in high paid, high qualified jobs were more likely to have an equal say - since they earn money they can decide what to spend it on, making middle class families more symmetrical

Question 24

decision making is not equal - pahl and vogler

Answer 24

when pooled income is controlled by the husband, he usually makes the major financial decision, suggesting the control of pooled money is more significant than just pooling the money

Question 25

decision making is not equal - hardill

Answer 25

important decisions were usually taken by the man alone, where his career took priority when deciding whether to move for a job

Question 26

decision making is not equal - edgell

Answer 26

found there was a hierarchy of decision making within the family

men had the final say in decisions such as moving house
both men and women had the final say in decisions regarding children’s education or holidays
women had the final say in home decor and what to eat for dinner

Question 27

sociological perspective on money - personal life perspective

Answer 27

focus on the meaning couples give to money, suggesting the meaning of money is not fixed and varies for every couple

Question 28

sociological perspective on money - smart

Answer 28

gay men and lesbians attached no importance to who controlled the money and didn’t see the control of money as an indicator of equality or inequality

same sex couples have greater freedom to negotiate roles, showing they are not bound by ‘heterosexual baggage of cultural meanings around money’

Question 29

sociological perspective of money - weeks et al

Answer 29

gay couples used a co-independence system of money management - some pooling for household spending but had separate accounts for personal spending leaving some independence

this shows it is crucial to focus on the personal meanings of the actors involved in a situation

Question 30

domestic violence - definition

Answer 30

violent or coercive behaviour within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner

Question 31

trends in domestic violence

Answer 31

domestic violence counts for 16% - 25% of all reported violent crimes

2.1 million people were victims of domestic abuse in 2023

most often committed by men against women - women are more likely to experience stalking, partner abuse, family abuse and sexual assault

two women a week are killed by a partner or spouse, and violent incidents often occurred when a woman challenged a man’s authority

Question 32

problems with official statistics on domestic violence - often not reported

Answer 32

women on average suffer 35 assaults before making a report, could be due to shame, fear of repercussions, blackmail

victims are less likely to report as they believe the abuse is too trivial

Question 33

problems with official statistics on domestic violence - often not recorded

Answer 33

police and prosecutors are reluctant to investigate domestic violence as they are not prepared to be involved with the family - the state shouldn’t interfere in the private sphere, they see the family as a good thing ignoring the dark side and believe a women is free to leave the assault at any time

only 6.5% of incidents reported led to a conviction

Question 34

patterns in domestic violence - gender

Answer 34

women are more likely to experience intimate violence across stalking, sexual assault, partner and family abuse

Question 35

patterns in domestic violence - class

Answer 35

working class people are more likely to be victims of domestic violence - arguments about money worries can cause more conflict

women on low incomes are disproportionally represented among sexual violence survivors - instrumental/expressive split as women are expected to take on men’s emotions

Question 36

patterns in domestic violence - age

Answer 36

children are most likely to be victims of domestic violence - in 90% of cases children were in the same room or next to the room where the violence took place

in 50% of cases children were directly abused - estimated that one child is killed every week by a parent or carer

Question 37

explanations for domestic violence - marxist feminism

Answer 37

domestic violence is a by-product of capitalism - men come home after being exploited at work by the bourgeoisie and take their frustrations out on their wives - women are the ‘takers of sh!t’

Question 38

explanations for domestic violence - ao3 for marxist feminism

Answer 38

fails to explain why not all men who work commit acts of violence

Question 39

explanations for domestic violence - materialist explanations (wilkinson and pickett)

Answer 39

domestic violence is a by-product of the stress caused by social inequality

worries about money and jobs can lead to domestic conflict, and lack of money and time restricts people’s social circles and reduces social support as they cannot see friends or afford therapy

this suggests those with less power, status and wealth are at greater risk of domestic violence

Question 40

explanations for domestic violence - ao3 for materialist explanations

Answer 40

doesn’t explain why women are at a greater risk of domestic violence

Question 41

explanations for domestic violence - radical feminism

Answer 41

domestic violence is a by-product of the patriarchy

men are assumed to have a right to discipline their wives if they fail to fulfil their role of housewife to his satisfaction

when women are assaulted by their partners, they fear reporting the assault as they may lose their financial support, so report and conviction rates are low

Question 42

explanations for domestic violence - ao3 for radical feminism

Answer 42

doesn’t explain accounts of women committing violence, especially against children and male partners e.g. lucy letby killed babies who were in her care, vanessa george sexually abused children in the nursery she worked at

most men are opposed to domestic violence