domestic division of labour Flashcards
what did Parson’s say about the division of labour between men and women?
1) instrumental role: the husband goes to work and provides for the family. He’s the breadwinner.
2) expressive role: the wife provides emotional support for the family and does the domestic duties in the household
what does parsons bases these two roles on?
He bases these roles on the biological differences between men and women, that women suit the nurturing role and men suit the provider role.
what do postmodernists critique parson’s expressive and instrumentalist theory?
They say that his theory is outdated and no longer relevant because society has changed women now work and men take on domestic roles. His theory also ignores same-sex couples.
what two roles did Bott come up with?
segregated roles: couples have separate roles, e.g. male breadwinner and female homemaker.
joint roles: couples share tasks e.g. housework and spend leisure time together.
Ann Oakley: criticised Bott’s theory
She said that even in families where both partners work, women still do most housework. Men “help out” occasionally but do not share equal responsibility.
what did young & wilmott say about the symmetrical family?
A concept developed by Young & Wilmott arguing that family roles are becoming more equal. Couples are becoming more joint and sharing the tasks within the household.
what is the march of progress view by Young & Willmott?
The march of progress is about how family life has improved over time, becoming more equal. Men and women share housework and childcare more than in the past.
what would Marxists and Feminists say about the march of progress?
Marxists and Feminists would argue that progress is not equal for everyone. For example, women still face oppression, and class inequalities still exist.
what features of the symmetrical family: Young & Willmott
1) shared conjugal roles: husbands and wives now share domestic (household) tasks & decision making, unlike in the past.
2) joint leisure time: couples spend more time together rather than individually.
3) increased role of fathers: men are more involved in childcare and housework.
what are the reasons for the rise of the symmetrical family?
1) increased women’s employment: creates a balanced relationship because women also contribute financially and breaks traditional beliefs.
2) higher geographical mobility: families are moving away from extended families, which means they have to rely on each other.
3) new tech: e.g. washing machines which reduces the domestic workload.
what did Ann Oakley say about young & willmott’s view on the symmetrical family?
Ann oakley (a feminist) stated that Young & Willmott exaggerated male participation in housework. In her study, she found out that only 15% of husbands participated in the housework. Additionally, she says that men cherry-pick ‘fun’ tasks, which causes the wife to do more work.
what did Warde & Hetherington say about the wife and husband sharing thee housework in the home?
They found out that men only did the “feminine” tasks like cleaning when the wives weren’t around.
- Wives are 30x more likely to have done the washing last.
women going to work leads to more what?
leads to more equal division of labour. Men are being more involved in childcare & housework, and women involved in paid work.
Functionalists and liberal feminists argue that paid work has led to more what?
more symmetrical families and improved gender inequality
what did Gershuny find out?
Gershuny found out that women who worked full-time did less housework than those who didn’t work. This shows that paid work can reduce gender inequality.
what did sullivan find out?
Sullivan found out that there is a trend towards women doing a lesser share of domestic work due to men taking on more domestic work. This shows an increase in symmetrical couples and egalitarian relationships.
what’s the key argument of Gershuny and Sullivan?
As more women enter paid work, they gain financial independence, which can lead to greater-decision making power in relationships. Women being paid and working weakens the traditional gender roles.
what did the British social attitudes survey discover?
That there has been a fall in the number of people who believe in instrumental and expressive roles.
what did Southerton argue?
He argued that women’s free time is often interrupted by domestic responsibilities, such as childcare or household tasks. Whereas, men’s free time is usually uninterrupted and longer, allowing them to fully relax. (this argument can support the feminist view on dual burden + critique the symmetrical family)
what is the dual burden? (Ferri & Smith)
The dual burden refers to the idea that women do both paid work and domestic labour. Therefore, they have two responsibilities.
what did Ferri & Smith find out in their study?
They found out that men took small responsibility for childcare and household duties. This shows that even when women work long hours, they still have to handle most of the domestic tasks in the home.
what is the triple shift? (Duncombe & Marsden)
Duncombe and Marsden argued that women don’t just face a dual burden but a triple shift.
triple shift:
1) paid work
2) housework & childcare
3) emotional labour (caring for the emotional needs of the family members)
what does women having the triple shift mean for them?
This means that women take on more work overall, making the family far from symmetrical.
what is the second shift? (Hochschild)
found out that even when women had full time jobs, they still did majority of the housework and childcare. (women work a full day at work and then come home to more unpaid domestic labour)
