Families and Households Flashcards
Family
There is not one clear single definition of “family”. It tends to be used either in a broad sense (as in a “family tree”) or in a narrower sense, of parents living together with their children as a “unit”.
Parsons
Men and women have biologically suited roles that are functional for society:
Expressive role - Women = Homemaker
Instrumental role - Men = Breadwinner
Bott (2)
Segregated conjugal roles - Division of labour between men and women, couples spend leisure time separately.
Joint conjugal roles - couples share domestic tasks and leisure time.
Willmott and Young (1973)
Conducted in Bethnal Green
Men went to work and spent leisure time at the pub and women stayed at home and spent time with female relatives (1960s)
They developed an idea of the family developing through a number of stages through history- A March of Progress
By 1973 the trend towards the symmetrical family was on the rise
Reasoning for the ‘March of Progress’/ Rise of the symmetrical family
Changes in the position of women e.g., legislation changes
Geographic mobility- couples moving away due to the industrial revolution
New technology e.g., hoovers
Better standards of living- rise in economy, more jobs and leisure
Oakley on the March of Progress
Rejects the march of progress view. Men do more but this is based on them doing one task a week like taking the children for a walk which is hardly symmetrical.
Domestic labour is heavily sex typed men tend to o by DIY and gardening and women do more cooking and cleaning.
Dual Burden
Women do paid work and housework
Triple Shift
Paid work, housework and emotional work (care and support for partner and children)
Why do we continue to see the division of labour in modern families?
Cultural explanation: Division of labour is due to patriarchal norms and values
Material explanation: Division of labour due to the fact that women earn less money/ spend more time in the home
Allowance system:
Men give their wives an allowance out of which they must budget and meet the family’s needs with the man maintaining surplus income
Pooling system
Both partners have access to income and have joint responsibility for its expenditures
Edgell (1980)
interviewed middle class couples and found that the decisions which men made were:
Moving house
Finance
Car
Decisions made by women were:
Interior decorations
Children’s clothing
Food and other domestic spending
Triggers of Domestic Violence (Feminism)
Dobash and Dobash (interviews with women in women’s refuges)- domestic violence is evidence of patriarchy. Men dominate women through domestic violence
Domestic violence is a part of the patriarchal system and helps to maintain men’s power. Radical feminists see marriage and family as an agent that pushes abuse on women
Triggers of Domestic Violence (Material Explanation)
WILKINSON:
Domestic violence is a result of stress on family members caused by social inequality (specifically working class). Those on low income and/or living in overcrowded accommodation are likely to experience high levels of stress.
Reduces their chances of maintaining stable, caring relationships and increases the risk of conflict and violence
Why don’t victims leave?
Emotional :
- Attachment to partner
- Belief that they will change
- Fear of consequences of leaving for themself and their children
Situational:
- Economic reasons as victim may not be financially stable
- No suitable housing alternatives
- Fear that law enforcement will not take situation seriously
- Cultures and religions may be against divorce
David Cheal (1991)
State Agencies make three assumptions about family life:
The family is a private sphere, so access to it by state agencies should be limited
The family is a good thing and so agencies tend to neglect the ‘darker side’ of family life
That individuals are free agents, so it is assumed that if a woman is experiencing abuse, she is free to leave.
Ansley
Domestic violence is the product of capitalism: male workers are exploited at work and take their frustration out on their wives.
Boden (2005) on Childhood
claims there was little research about children as consumers, but now shops are targeting young adolescents with ‘older’ clothes, makeup, shoes, fake tattoos, fake cigarettes
Duncan (2006) on Childhood
states that teen pregnancy is not damaging childhood, as it is just making teenagers more responsible
Aries on Changes to Childhood overtime
In the Middle Ages, the idea of childhood did not exist.
Children had the same responsibilities, rights and skills as adults - in turn, they were considered economic assets. Referred to as ‘little adults’
However, as the modern notion of childhood began to emerge, there became a profound distinction between children and adults in terms of clothing, rights and responsibilities.
Postman on Childhood changes overtime
In modern society, childhood is ‘disappearing’. Children and adults have some of the same rights, children’s unsupervised traditional games are disappearing, children are committing ‘adult’ crimes.
Information Hierarchy (Postman)
The printed word created an information hierarchy between adults, who can read, and children, who cannot - this gave adults the power to keep ‘adult matters’ private.
However, TV blurs the distinction and information hierarchy; TV does not require special skills to access it.
Shorter on Childhood
In the middle ages, the high death rate of children encouraged indifference and neglect.
For example, parents referred to their child as “it” or gave the child a name of a recently dead sibling.
