Family - Decision Making

Question 1

Decision making

Answer 1

Hardill’s study of couples indicates important decisions were usually taken by the man alone or jointly with the mans life as priority -> women’s lives tend to be structured around their husbands.

Edgells study shows (Very Important Decisions) -involving finance taken alone by man or jointly with his final say.(Important decisions) typically non financial involving children’s education or holiday destination taken by wife.(Less important decisions) choices of items taken by wife.

Question 2

Decision making (Cultural vs material explanations)

Answer 2

Laurie & Gershuny found evidence of a slow move towards greater equality in decision making - 1995, 70% of couples said ‘it was an equal say’
-Women earn more and better qualified, more likely to have an equal say->provide support for material explanations of gender inequality.

*Feminists argue cultural definition of men as decision makers is engrained in society, instilled through gender role socialisation.