Roles And Power Relationships Between Couples LT2

Question 1

What is the domestic division of labour?

Answer 1

The domestic division of labour refers to the roles that men and women play in relation to housework.

Question 2

Which structural approaches believes in the Non-Symmetrical family?

Answer 2

Functionalists (view it in a positive light) and Feminists (view it in a negative way).

Question 3

What is a non-symmetrical (asymmetrical) family?

Answer 3

A traditional nuclear family where women and men have segregated conjugal roles (separate marital roles).

Question 4

What are the reasons for segregated conjugal roles?

Answer 4

Biological differences.

Functionalist Parsons (1955) argued that women are ‘naturally’ suited to a nurturing role whilst men as the provider.

Question 5

What is the name given to men who go out to work and act as financial breadwinners?

Answer 5

Instrumental leaders.

Question 6

What are expressive leaders? And what does the role usually entail?

Answer 6

Women are seen as the expressive leaders. Their roles are to act as home-makers and carers e.g offering emotional support.

Question 7

Which sociologists believe there is an increase in the number of couples with an equal division of labour (joint conjugal roles)

Answer 7

Young and Willmott (1973) and Sullivan (2000)

Question 8

What are ‘new men’?

Answer 8

Men who participate more in traditional ‘women’s tasks’ such as housework and childcare.

Question 9

What are Sullivan’s reasons for symmetry?

Answer 9

• There in an increase in the number of women working, therefore there is a greater need for domestic tasks to be shared and the extra income can be used to bring in help e.g. cleaners and cooks. (economic)
• Housework has been commercialised and mass produced ‘ready meals’, microwaves ect reduce the amount of domestic work that much be done. (economic)
• Shifting social attitudes mean that it is more acceptable for men to do housework (values)

Question 10

What is a feminist argument against “new men”?

Answer 10

Men may ‘help’ but they rarely take responsibility for the task. e.g. A man will view helping with childcare as a way of helping his wife out rather than viewing it as his responsibility as a father.

Question 11

Who argued that only a small percentage of men participate in housework (15%) and childcare (25%)

Answer 11

Oakley (1974)

Question 12

What is the triple shift?

Answer 12

A feminist argument that women within a family do paid work, domestic work and emotional work.

Question 13

What is the dual burden?

Answer 13

Women doing paid work and unpaid housework.

Question 14

What did Oakley (1974) argue about the jobs women usually undertake?

Answer 14

Oakley argued that when women work outside of the home it is usually lowly paid and an extension of their ‘housewife’ role e.g. nursing/childcare.

Question 15

What are gender scripts?

Answer 15

Social expectations that set out the gender roles of heterosexual couples.

Question 16

How do Gender scripts affect family symmetry?

Answer 16

Men and women are pressurised to carry out domestic tasks that confirm their gender identities e.g. men do D.I.Y and women clean.

Question 17

What other reason would feminists argue affects family symmetry?

Answer 17

Patriarchy- Couples are socialised to believe that the husband is the head of the household and makes the important decisions. Additionally, out of the house hold patriarchy leads to women earning less and having less bargaining power in the home.

Question 18

What did Edgell (1980) argue about decision making within a marriage?

Answer 18

Edgell argued that VERY IMPORTANT decisions such as a change of job or moving house was made by men. IMPORTANT decisions such as children’s education or holidays were taken jointly and LESS IMPORTANT decisions such as décor and children’s clothes were made by women.

Question 19

How do financial resources affect roles and relationships between couples?

Answer 19

• Through paid work men usually earn more which created female economic dependency, and men have the power and control over how the money is spent.
• Feminists argue that men control finances and offer little/unpredictable support for women so many are poor.

Question 20

What statistics did Mirrlees-Black (1999) find on domestic violence.

Answer 20

• 6.6 million domestic assaults occur yearly.
• Most are women.
• 1 in 4 women are assaulted by their partners.
• Most victims are working class and poor.

Question 21

What are the problems with statistics?

Answer 21

• They underestimate to size of the problem.
• Victims are unwilling to report.
• The Police and CPS are reluctant to involve themselves in family issues and assume that the women are ‘free’ to leave.

Question 22

What did the Dobash & Dobash (1979) research on domestic violence conclude?

Answer 22

• Patriarchy produced a culture of male domination, power and control.
• Domestic violence is often triggered by the husband’s perception that his wife was challenging his authority or not carrying out her ‘duties’.
• Domestic violence or the threat of it is often the way men dominate and preserve their power over women.
• Male domination in the police and judiciary system explains why domestic violence isn’t effectively dealt with.

Question 23

What did Wilkinson (1996) conclude was the reason for domestic violence?

Answer 23

• Domestic violence was due to the stresses of social inequality.
• Families with insecure jobs, low incomes and overcrowded houses have increasing chances of domestic violence.

Question 24

Who argued that women are “takers of shit”?

Answer 24

Marxist-Feminist Ansley (1993) argued that domestic violence is an outlet of men’s frustration with the exploitation and alienation they experience in the capitalist workplace.

Question 25

What are weaknesses of Wilkinson (1996) and Ansley’s (1993) views on domestic violence?

Answer 25

Their views are economically deterministic and simplify domestic violence to the economy.