Gender Roles, Domestic Roles & Power Relationships

Question 1

Functionalist views on gender roles - parsons

Answer 1

• parsons: traditional NF best, roles of husband & wife segregated - seperate
• husband: instrumental role: breadwinner
• wife: expressive role: emotional role, primary socialisation of children
• “naturally suited” biological differences, benefits individuals & society new right

Question 2

Willmott & Young - “emergence of new man”

Answer 2

• increase equality in family , change in men
• women take more traditional male roles
• men in traditional “women’s work” (housework, childcare)
• men sensitive in touch with his own and families emotional needs

Question 3

Wilmott & Young - symmetrical family ? Characteristics 3

Answer 3

1. Nuclear isn’t of classical extended
2. Home centered or “privatised” - leisure time shared together, family socialises less w people outside family
3. Joint conjugal roles: share tasks 72% men helped

Question 4

Oakley view on gender roles ? Study critise wilmott and young

Answer 4

• 72% claiming to do housework isn’t proof of equility
• women do most housework dual burden: paid & unpaid work
• famkly remains patriarchal: men benefit

Question 5

Oakley study ?

Answer 5

• Interviewed 40 women 1/2 M/C 1/2 W/C, 20-30 yrs old, lived in London & 2 children or above under 5
• 15% husbands increased participation in housework & 25% childcare

Question 6

Duncombe & marsden ? - triple shift

Answer 6

• conjugal roles segregated & women do extra roles beyond paid work & housework
• triple shift: emotional work, “labour of love”
• research: women felt emotionally deserted, husbands leaving them w emotional work

Question 7

Gershuny - impact of paid work ? - lagged adaption

Answer 7

• conjugal roles aren’t yet going, will in future
• women part time to full time, less domestic work, partners done some
• slow process, men adapt slower than women: lagged adaption

Question 8

Silver & schor - commercialisation of house work role ?

Answer 8

• women in paid work : more appliances, men’s attitudes changed : easier & quicker
• 60% do more than father, 75% women less than mother

Question 9

Dune - lesbian couples, housework & parenting ?

Answer 9

• housework, equal distribution, no gender scripts, men & women inevitably patriarchal
• lack gender scripts : new parenting techniques: economically independent: positive
• M/C couples: increase education: more easily

Question 10

Postmodernism - present ?

Answer 10

• flexibility & choice in labour, negotiate & pick & mix roles
• “house husband” increase
• sudden decrease men in Britain economically inactive, core homes
• 30% men 13hrs, 3% married women > 3 hrs tasks at home
• 13% women “husbands more than them”
• smart & neale: focused on relationships in which parenting is shared

Question 11

Globalisation & impact on domestic division of labour ?

Answer 11

• Caribbean families: LPFs, female lead : responsible domestic labour
• south Asian families: traditional roles, husbands authority over wife’s, women: housewife & mother
• increased globalisation: increase purchasing personal care, home helps, & Nannie’s from poorer families across world

Question 12

Edgel - decision making & control of finances affecting the power

Answer 12

• men made important decisions - money EG moving house
• child’s education: joint decision, men final say
• women’s decisions: clothes, food
• women more financially independent: greater input, even if they earn more: men make decision, masculinity isn’t threatened

Question 13

Pahl & vogler - control over family income ?

Answer 13

• devision in conjugal roles, allowance system, husband provides wife w money: “housekeeping”
• roles changed, pooling system, joint acces/bank
• Doesn’t mean equality, 2011: 59% married consult eachother on financial issues, 44% women sole responsibility

Question 14

Weeks - growth of co-independence?

Answer 14

• increase individualism young couples, own financial for personal, joint pool: household
• smart: gay & lesbian couples: no importance to control over money, not sign of equality

Question 15

Dobash & Dobash - violence against wives ?

Answer 15

• challenging men’s authority: violence, inequality tolerated & reinforced by political & cultural institutions
• marriage legitimises violence: imbalance power
• privatisation of NF & emotional stress: geographically mobile, cut of extended family, lack of support family & friends: violence, divorce, damage

Question 16

Donavon - domestic violence same sex couples

Answer 16

• young couples more likely to report incidents
• materialistic explanations: result of material deprivation, lack financial resources & stress by money & jobs & housing triggered DV - increase W/C families