Gender Roles Flashcards
What is the domestic division of labour ?
The domestic division of labour are the roles of men and women play in the household for example housework, childcare and paid work.
What are Parsons roles?
I Man ) ( E Woman
The instrumental man and the expressive woman.
What is Parsons instrumental man?
Parsons instrumental man is that the husband is leading towards achieving success at work so that he can provide for his family. He is the breadwinner.
What is Parsons expressive woman?
Parsons expressive woman is that the wife focuses on the primary socialisation of the children and meeting the family’s emotional needs. She is the housewife rather than the wage earner.
Apart from Parsons functionalist view who else would agree that the division of labour is beneficial?
The New Right
What do feminists think about Parsons view on the division of labour?
They reject Parsons view that the division of labour is natural and they argue it only benefits men.
What did Young and Willmott say about Parsons view on the domestic division of labour?
(What has changed between men and Women ?)
They said things are changing and men do more and women now go to work.
What is Bolts view on the domestic division of labour? (2 Types of conjugal roles)
Bolt distinguishes between two types of conjugal roles within marriage: joint and segregated conjugal roles.
What are segregated conjugal roles? (Bolt)
This is when couples have separate roles. The male is the breadwinner and the female is the homemaker/carer. Their leisure activities tend to be separate.
What are joint conjugal roles? (Bolt)
Where the couple share tasks such as housework and childcare and spend their leisure time together.
What is Young and Wilmot’s symmetrical family? 
This is a march of progress view of the history of the family and they see family life gradually improving ,becoming more equal and democratic.
What three aspects of the symmetrical family makes the roles between husbands and wives more similar? (Young and Willmott)
1) Women now go out to work.This can be part time or full time.
2) men now help with the housework and childcare.
3) couples now spend their leisure time together instead of separately with workmates or female relatives.
Why do young and Wilmot see the rise of the symmetrical nuclear family in the past century?
1) There are changes in women’s position including married women going up to work.
2) more couples are living away from the communities in which they grew up in (Geographical Mobility)
3) New technology and labour.
4) highest standards of living.
Yes housework is beginning to be shared more equally. 
Improved living standards in the home?
Living standards such as DVDs, computers, the Internet, TVs and central heating has encouraged husbands and wives to be more home centred building the relationship and home.
Yes housework is beginning to be shared more equally.
The decline of close extended family in greater geographical and social mobility?
1) There is less pressure from Kin or cohabiting couples to maintain traditional roles and therefore can adopt new roles in a relationship.
2) no longer the separate male and female networks for male and female partners to mix with.
3) increase dependence on each other and the new roles avoid being fed by friends who knew them before they got married.
Yes housework is beginning to be shared more equally.
The improved status and rights of women?
1) Women have become more demanding that household tasks are shared.
2) Women are accepted as more equal as they are in paid employment.
Yes housework is beginning to be shared more equally.
The increase in the number of women working in paid employment?
1) increased independence and authority in the family with reduced time they spend on housework.
2) Laurie and Gershuny - Found wives moved into paid employment then did less housework meaning men had to do more.
No Housework is not shared equally
Oakley. Who rejected the notion of a symmetrical family?
The patriarchy is a major characteristic of modern nuclear families and women still occupy a dependent role within the family.
No housework is not shared equally.
Research by Craig ?
1) Found that women do more housework than men
2)  inequality begins when a couple moving together and before they have children (Partnership Penalty)
3) Wives unpaid domestic labour rises as the husband has less housework when couples marry.
4) The decision in having a baby results in being wore off financially (Mother Penalty)
No housework is not shared equally.
Galim and Thompson ?
There is an incomplete gender revolution with 8 out of 10 married women carrying out more household chores than the men
No housework is not shared equally.
A survey conducted by mumsnet in 2014?
Found women did double the housework than men despite having a full day of work and the 81% of women are responsible for organising Christmas.
No housework is not shared equally.
A survey of 1000 men and women by the BBC in 2014 that argue that modern marriage was characterised by chorework?
There is constant conflict between partners over domestic chores and many admitted that they were regularly arguing with partners over the housework
No housework is not shared equally.
Women today are experiencing a second shift or dual burden with regard to housework?
Women experience double the burden of trying to be effective at both paid and unpaid jobs. Their Job and the Housework.
No housework is not shared equally.
Green’s finding that wives visually interpret leisure time as time free from both there jobs and housework ?
Women felt that they were on call with regards to domestic duties and childcare 24 hours a day as well as husband same time outside of work as a leisure time.
