FAMILIES - Couples (The Domestic Division Of Labour)

Question 1

What are the instrumental and expressive roles in the traditional nuclear family according to PARSONS?

Answer 1

The husband has an instrumental role, geared towards achieving success at work and providing financially (breadwinner). The wife has an expressive role, focused on primary socialisation of children and meeting the family’s emotional needs (homemaker).

Question 2

On what basis does PARSONS argue the division of labour in the family?

Answer 2

Parsons argues that the division of labour is based on biological differences, with women naturally suited to nurturing roles and men to provider roles.

Question 3

How do YOUNG and WILLMOTT criticize Parsons’ view on the division of labour?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What is BOTT’s distinction between the conjugal roles?

Answer 4

Bott distinguishes between segregated conjugal roles (separate roles for male breadwinner and female homemaker) and joint conjugal roles (shared tasks and leisure time).

Question 5

What is the ‘symmetrical family’ according to YOUNG and WILLMOTT?

Answer 5

A symmetrical family is one where roles of husbands and wives are more similar, with women working (even part-time), men helping with housework and childcare, and couples spending leisure time together.

Question 6

What social changes contributed to the rise of the symmetrical family?

Answer 6

Changes in women’s position, geographical mobility, new technology and labour-saving devices, and higher standards of living.

Question 7

How do feminist sociologists view the ‘march of progress’ view of family roles?

Answer 7

Feminists reject it, arguing that men and women remain unequal within the family, with women still doing most of the housework.

Question 8

What did Ann OAKLEY find in her research on housework?

Answer 8

She found some evidence of husbands helping at home, but no trend towards symmetry. Only 15% of husbands had high participation in housework and 25% in childcare.

Question 9

How do WARDE and HETHERINGTON’s findings on domestic tasks support feminist views?

Answer 9

They found strong sex-typing of tasks, with men doing routine ‘female’ tasks only when partners weren’t around, and younger men showing slight attitude changes.

Question 10

What two questions arise from the trend of both partners working?

Answer 10

Whether it leads to a more equal division of domestic tasks (march of progress view) or if women now carry a ‘dual burden’ of paid and domestic work (feminist view).

Question 11

What did GERSHUNY’s research find regarding women working full-time?

Answer 11

He found that women working full-time did less domestic work, indicating a move towards a more equal division of labour.

Question 12

What does the British Social Attitudes survey (2013) reveal about gender roles?

Answer 12

It found a decrease in the belief that it’s the man’s job to earn and the woman’s job to care for home and family, indicating changing attitudes towards gender roles.

Question 13

According to feminist sociologists, what is the effect of women entering paid work on domestic labour?

Answer 13

They argue that women entering paid work has not led to greater equality in domestic labour; women still carry a dual burden.

Question 14

According to feminist sociologists, what is the effect of women entering paid work on domestic labour?

Answer 14

They argue that women entering paid work has not led to greater equality in domestic labour; women still carry a dual burden.

Question 15

What did the British Social Attitudes survey (2012) find about men’s and women’s housework and care time?

Answer 15

Men did eight hours of housework and ten hours of care per week, whereas women did 13 hours of housework and 23 hours of care per week.

Question 16

What does the concept of ‘emotion work’ entail?

Answer 16

‘Emotion work’ involves managing the emotions and feelings of family members, often a responsibility placed on women.

Question 17

What is the ‘triple shift’ that women perform according to DUNCOMBE and MARSDEN?

Answer 17

The ‘triple shift’ includes housework, paid work, and emotion work.

Question 18

How does SOUTHERTON describe the management of ‘quality time’ in families?

Answer 18

Mothers are often responsible for coordinating family ‘quality time,’ which has become harder due to fragmented schedules and the demands of work and family.

Question 19

What are the two explanations for the unequal division of labour identified by CROMPTON and LYONETTE?

Answer 19

The cultural or ideological explanation (patriarchal norms and values) and the material or economic explanation (economic rationality based on earnings).

Question 20

What evidence supports the cultural explanation of inequality in domestic labour?

Answer 20

Studies show that couples with more equal parental role models (GERSHUNY), younger men who do more domestic work (MAN YEE KAN), and shifts in social attitudes with <10% of under-35s agreeing with the traditional division of labour (BRITISH SOCIAL ATTITUDES SURVEY 2013) contribute to more equal sharing of housework.

Question 21

What evidence supports the material explanation of inequality in domestic labour?

Answer 21

Higher earnings for women correlate with less housework, and better-paid women can outsource domestic tasks (ARBER and GINN - m/c women pay for maids, dishwashers, and nannies to save time on labour-intensive domestic tasks), leading to more equal sharing of labour.

Question 22

What is the feminist conclusion regarding the division of domestic labour?

Answer 22

Feminists argue that despite some improvements, women still shoulder a dual or triple burden and patriarchy ensures continuing inequality in domestic roles.