Families and households - Topic 6 (couples)

Question 1

What is the Instrumental role?

Answer 1

mainly the husband who is the breadwinner and provides economic capital for the family.

Question 2

What is the Expressive role?

Answer 2

Mainly the wife who meets the family’s emotional needs and does all the domestic work around the house.

Question 3

Young & Wilmott (domestic division of labour)

Answer 3

argue that men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks and more wives are becoming wage earners.

Question 4

Bott (1957) - domestic division of labour

Answer 4

discusses two types of conjugal roles; segregated conjugal roles and joint conjugal roles.

Question 5

What are segregated conjugal roles?

Answer 5

the couple has separated roles; male (instrumental, female (expressive). They also spend their leisure time separately.

Question 6

What are joint conjugal roles?

Answer 6

the couple shares tasks, both do equal amount of housework and paid work, they also spend their leisure time together.

Question 7

Young & Wilmott - study of traditional working class families in Bethnal Green, London

Answer 7

• Men were the breadwinners
• They played little part in home life and spent their leisure time in the pub
• Women were full time housewives with sole responsibility for housework and childcare

Question 8

What is a symmetrical family?

Answer 8

Symmetrical family is a family with joint conjugal roles.