feminism - families and household couples

Question 1

What does Parsons state?

Answer 1

-In a traditional nuclear family, the roles of husbands and wives are segregated.
-These differences are based on biological differences:
women=nurturing role
men=provider

Question 2

What are the names of the husband of wife according to Parsons? Examples!

Answer 2

-Instrumental=husband: achieving success at work>can provide financially for the family.
-Expressive=wife: housewife, meeting families emotional needs, primary socialisation.

Question 3

Evaluate Parsons’ view?

Answer 3

-Young and Wilmott argue men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks and more wives are becoming wage earners.
-Feminists reject Parsons view that the division of labour is natural. They argue that it only benefits men.

Question 4

What does Bott argue?

Answer 4

Developing on Parsons instrumental and expressive roles, she distinguished between the segregated and joint conjugal roles.

Question 5

What does conjugal mean?
What is the difference between segregated and joint conjugal roles?

Answer 5

Marriage.
Segregated=couples have separated roles in the house. Leisure activities are also separate.
Joint=couples share tasks e.g. housework, childcare. Leisure time is spent together.

Question 6

How is Young and Wilmott’s view a ‘march of progress view’? (2)

Answer 6

-Family life is gradually improving for all its members.
-Becoming more equal and democratic.

Question 7

What is the symmetrical family? E.g? (3)

Answer 7

The roles of husbands and wives are similar:
-Women now go to work
-Men now help with the housework and childcare
-Couples now spend their leisure time together

Question 8

What societal changes have led to the symmetrical family? (5)

Answer 8

-Feminism
-March of progress
-Changes of the role of women
-Higher living standards
-New technology and labour saving devices

Question 9

What are the 3 evaluation points of the symmetrical family?

Answer 9

-Dual burden
-Triple shift
-The new man

Question 10

Define dual burden.

Answer 10

-Feminist view.
-The impact of paid work>double burden.
-Women now have to carry out paid work, as well as unpaid domestic work.

Question 11

Define triple shift.

Answer 11

Women also have to carry out emotional work: resolving family issues, emotionally caring for children, looking after sick family members.

Question 12

Define the new man.

Answer 12

Men are now caring, sharing, gentle, emotional, sensitive in his attitudes towards women, and his own emotional needs.

Question 13

Statistic supporting the view that couples are equal?

Answer 13

British Social Attitudes Survey (2013)- found a fall in the number of people who think its the mans job to earn money, and the woman’s job to look after the home and family.
1984=45% men, 41% women
2012=13% men, 12% women
MARCH OF PROGRESS VIEW

Question 14

Statistic contradicting the view that couples are unequal?

Answer 14

British Social Attitudes Survey (2012)- average hours of housework
Men= 8 hours
Women= 13 hours
FEMINIST VIEW

Question 15

What are the 2 explanations for the gender division of labour?

Answer 15

-Cultural and ideological (belief) explanation
-Material and economic explanation

Question 16

Explain the cultural and ideological explanation for the gender division of labour.

Answer 16

-Division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values>shape gender roles in society
-Women perform more domestic tasks because it is what society expects of them
-Due to socialisation

Question 17

Explain the material and economic explanation for the gender division of labour.

Answer 17

Women earn less than men>it’s economically rational for women to spend more time doing childcare and housework, and men to spend more of their time earning money.

Question 18

Evidence for the cultural and ideological explanation? (2) What has this lead to?

Answer 18

-Man Yee Ken: younger men do more domestic work.
-Future Foundation: most men claim to do more housework than their fathers and most women claim to do less housework than their mothers.
-Generational shift in the norms and values.

Question 19

Evidence for the material and economic explanation? (2)

Answer 19

-Sara, Arber and Jay Ginn: better-paid, middle class women>more able to buy commercially produced products and services e.g. maids.
-Kan: for every £10,000 p/year more a women earns, she does 2 hours less housework p/week.

Question 20

Overall, what are 4 reaosns why it is equal and unequal in families and household.

Answer 20

-Equal: symmetrical family, new man, Mon Yee Ken, Future Foundation.
-Unequal: nuclear household, Parson, dual burden, triple shift.

Question 21

Along with inequality in division of labour, what is there also inequality in? What is this also linked in with? (2)

Answer 21

How family resources are shared out between men and women. Linked to:
-Who controls the families income
-Who has the power to make decisions about how it is spent

Question 22

What research is there that resources and decision making are unequal? What did they identify?

Answer 22

Pahl and Vogler: identified two main types of control over family income:
-Allowance system
-Pooling

Question 23

What is allowance system?

Answer 23

-Men give their wives an allowance
-They have to budget to meet the family needs
-Men retain any surplus excess income himself

Question 24

What is pooling?

Answer 24

Both partners have access to income and joint responsibility of funds e.g. joint bank accounts.

Question 25

What is a limitation of pooling?

Answer 25

Men usually made the major financial decisions.

Question 26

What did Edgell find find in his study of professional couples? (3)

Answer 26

-Very important decisions e.g. finance, were made by the husband.
-Important desc ions e.g. children’s education, were made jointly.
-Less important decisions e.g. home decor, were made by the wife.

Question 27

What did Edgell argue about his findings of the study of professional couples? (3)

Answer 27

Findings are because of:
-Men earning more
-Gender pay gap
-Women economically dependent on husbands>less decision making.

Question 28

What did Finch find?

Answer 28

Women’s lives tend to be structured around their husbands careers.

Question 29

What did Hardill study and find?

Answer 29

Studied 30 professional couples and found decisions were either made by the man alone, or if done jointly, his career took priority when deciding whether to move house for a new job.

Question 30

To contrast, what research is there that shows that resources and decision making are becoming more equal? E.g?..

Answer 30

Pahl found there is growing independence in financial matters. E.g. most partners now have their own bank account and credit card.

Question 31

According to the Home Office 2013, what is domestic violence?

Answer 31

Any incident of controlling or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between intimate partners or family members.

Question 32

What are the 5 different types of abuse that domestic violence can include?

Answer 32

-Psychological
-Physical
-Sexual
-Financial
-Emotional

Question 33

Give 5 statistics on domestic violence

Answer 33

-Only 1/4 of serious domestic violence incidents are reported to the police and only 1/5 of these end in convictions
-1/4 women experience rape in marriage
-1/5 suffer from physical injuries
-In 1991, rape within marriage was considered a crime

Question 34

What is the radical feminist explanation for domestic violence? What do sociologists argue about this?

Answer 34

-See domestic violence as a means for men to exercise patriarchal power, to control and intimidate women, keeping them in a state of submission.
-Ganley and Schecther: Womens inequality in society>male violence against women. Men are showing women who is in charge.

Question 35

What is the marxist feminist explanation for domestic violence? What do sociologists argue about this?

Answer 35

-Emphasis on structural factors, social deprivation e.g. overcrowded homes and low income>generating stress.
-Dobash: womens subordinate role and unequal power are enforced and maintained e.g. laws>male violence against women

Question 36

According to postmodernism, is gender still an influence on us in society today?
Does this account for all types of couples?

Answer 36

No.
No, doesn’t account for homo-sexual relationships.