gender roles: Parsons + Young and Willmott + Elizabeth Bott Flashcards
what do functionalist sociologists such as Parsons and Young + Willmott suggest?
suggest that industrialisation has led to an increase in egalitarian marriage
where do functionalists think that spouses relationship have become more equal in terms of
-participation in housework
-child-care
-decision-making
domestic division of labour - Parsons
man=breadwinner of the family, instrumental role
female= expressive role, housewife , meets emotional needs of family, responsible for primary socialisation of children
Parsons argues that segregated roles are a product of
biological differences
For functionalists, segregated roles are beneficial to
stabilise society and socialise children
correctly
Young and Willmott study: The Symmetrical Family (1973)
-claimed that the extended family was characterised by segregated conjugal roles, i.e. husbands went out to work whilst wives were exclusively responsible for housework and child-care
-separated leisure time
What type of approach do young and willmott take?
A ‘march of progress’ view
-argue modern couples have abandoned old-fashioned + unequal segregated marital roles so now have joint conjugal roles
what does Y+M argue about the extended family?
-the extended family has been replaced by a privatised nuclear family characterised by symmetry.
- Modern marriage is characterised by joint conjugal roles meaning that women are now going out to work and men are doing a fairer share of domestic tasks.
-leisure time increasingly shared
Y + M believe the rise in the symmetrical nuclear family is due to 4 main social changes that have happened over the past century, what are they?
1) change in women’s positions
2) geographical mobility
3) new technology
4)higher standards of living
changes in women’s positions
women can now work
geographical mobility
more couples live away from home + more job opportunities
new technology
can help reduce domestic labour e.g washing machines
emergence of new man- Caring, sharing man, helps with housework, childcare, rejects sexist
attitudes, rise in ‘househusbands’ and those
helping with childcare
support of new man
Man Yee Kan: younger men do more
housework supporting the ‘New Man’
younger people more exposed to movements eg feminism
higher standards of living
more income-dual workers
parsons argues pre-industrial families were
usually extended families - society less developed
The Industrial Revolution changed family structure, family became more geographically mobile
-segregated roles
evaluation of young and willmott
-women still experience dual burden
-couples who do divided domestic tasks split it according to traditional gender roles(men=diy, women=cooking)
-There is lots of feminist research to suggest that the “symmetrical family” is a myth(ann oakley Y+M see a man who helps with washing dishes once a week as ‘helpful’
The modern nuclear family is presented in an idealistic way- ignores dark side of the family
how do sociologists Duncombe and Marden criticise Y+M?
Women are also responsible for the emotional well-being of their partners and children
women perform a ‘triple shift’
oakley found that
Y+M give equal weight to fathers playing with children and mothers washing the dishes and preparing meals
-men cherry pick roles Gatrell
-husbands saw housework + child work as ‘her work’ rather than a joint chore
Gillian Dunne
-looked at 37 lesbian couples with children and found that because the partners were both female they were more likely to share housework, give importance to both partners careers + share childcare
- no pressure to [reform gender roles as there is with a man and women
elizabeth bott
two main ways of dividing roles in a marriage:
-joint conjgal roles
-segregated conjugal role
joint conjugal roles
-partners have interchangeable, flexible roles
-both partners are likely to work (dual worker family)
-partners have the same friends + similar leisure interests
segregated conjugal roles
-partners have clearly separate roles
-men=breadwinner, make important decisions, do technical jobs at home
-women= expressive role
-partners have different friends + leisure activities
