Domestic division of labour: lesson 18

Question 1

What did Bott study?

Answer 1

• 20 working class families in the 1950s to examine roles and relationships in families
• identified segregated and joint conjugal roles

Question 2

What are segregated conjugal roles ?

Answer 2

• sexual division of labour
• male breadwinner, female home maker
• don’t spend leisure time together

Question 3

What are joint conjugal roles?

Answer 3

• domestic responsibilities shared equally
• no division of labour
• leisure time spent together

Question 4

What do Young & Willmott argue?

Answer 4

• agree with Bott about conjugal roles
• family life has gradually improved
• shift towards conjugal roles and symmetrical family

Question 5

What do Young & Willmott believe ?

Answer 5

Four stages of family development
- pre industrial: family unit of production
- early industrial: men work, women at home
- symmetrical family: both men and women work
- asymmetrical family: return to separate conjugal roles