P2 Families and Households - Decision Making and Parenthood Flashcards
What does Bernades argue about decision making?
That it has an effect on careers and only a small number of women return to pre baby jobs. There is a downwards mobility (low paid, part time jobs)
What does Hardill argue about the distribution of power?
Hardill argues that middle class wives tend to defer major decision making to husbands e.g finances.
It was concluded that the interests of family should be subordinated to men career as he was a major breadwinner. However this changed when males are unemployed (working women will cut back on spending and take responsibility of bills)
What is argued about money management?
Research shows resources are not shared equally - women often deny their own needs
What is the allowance system?
Men give wife an allowance
What is pooling?
Both partners have access, joint responsibility for expenditure, joint bank account.
Pooling doesn’t necessarily mean there is equality - who controls the pooled money. Cohabiting couples are less likely to pool money - independence but are most likely to share domestic tasks equally
What does Dennis and Erdos argue about parenthood(fathers)?
Children are less likely to be socialised with clear discipline and are less likely to be successful parents.
Peer groups and media have greater influence on these children
- Delinquency, social disruption teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol use
What is the children act?
States that mothers should have parental responsibility if they are not married and it is estimated that 40% of fathers lose touch with children after 2 years as a result.
- Only 12% of children live with their father
What does Burghes argue about fatherhood?
That fathers have a greater role in emotional development
What does Beck argue?
In postmodern age males cannot get full fulfilment from jobs, children form a sense of identity and purpose
What does Gray argue?
Fathers acknowledge the need to spend quality time with the children (time to help with homework, play, go on trips etc)
Fathers viewed the above as an expression of fatherhood and not domestic work.
However this cannot be exaggerated, the fact is women still have an overwhelming responsibility for childcare and socialisation
What do feminists argue about motherhood?
That participation in jobs is limited by the domestic roles they have to fulfill:
1. Few women can have full time careers (jobs not careers)
2. Some employers believe women are unreliable due to family commitments (leads to discrimination)
3. Not as equal as functionalists would suggest
Women are at a disadvantage to men
What does Boutlon argue?
Although fathers may help performing specific child care tasks, mother takes responsibility
What is the social capital approach?
Time with children has been redefined as investing time with children that will benefit them emotionally, educationally and economically.
Focus on how parents interpret time spent with children:
- Fathers see spending time alone with children as quality time as they were most likely to do it through choice, rather than obligation
What does Southerton argue about quality time?
Coordinating the families quality time falls to mother. Society makes this more difficult due to flexible working patterns
What are the conclusions?
Their may have been a movement towards the symmetrical family - conflicting ideas on how much
Some evidence that women being in paid work leads to equality in domestic chores.
Feminists argue that the extent of this is limited (dual burden / triple shift)
