How power is divided; money management, decision making and resource control Flashcards
A) resources
-Women sacrificefoods to help children and husbands
-Women denies their own needs to help others
B) money management
Pahl and Volgar: looked at money management
1) pooling system- bring money together- joint bank account and both couples have access to it, equal contribution to bills
2) allowance system- men give their wife an allowance after they ask for one
Most common- pooling system
-though is appears to be based on gender equality, it is not, why?
-men- earn 15% more than women
-paying an equal contribution to bills disadvantages women as they contribute more of their wages and have less disposable income
-women also sacrifice money for children as they are seen as a womens responsibility
B)
SOPL- Carol Smart
-She criticises P&V because they imply that money has a fixed universal meaning (money means the same to everyone)
-they make the assumption that whoever manages the money automatically is the most powerful but money does not equate to power
- found that in lesbian and gay relationships- these couples dont see control over money as a sign of inequality in their relationship
C) decision making
Hardill (1977) and Edgell (1980):
both studied couples in proffesional occupation
-Found gender inequality in decision making
(1) Very important decisions- made by the man or both (e.g. moving house)
(2) Less important decisions- made by women (e.g. decor)
(3) Important decision- made by the wife or both (e.g. child’s school or education)
material explanation as to why this is:
- men make the more important decision because they are the higher earners=more power
AO3 of ME
it is due to culture not material, our culture defines men as the decision makers and this is engrained into both sexes- men feel emasculated when women are the decision makers