the domestic division of labour

Question 1

what were families like in 1950s according to functionalist Parsons?

Answer 1

• ideal family was characterised by segregated conjugal roles (clear division of labour)
• parsons argued in a functioning society, there should be nuclear family which:
  
  • husband has instrumental role: achieving success at work to provide financially for family, ‘breadwinner’
  • wife has expressive role: primary socialisation of children, meeting emotional needs, homemaker, full time housewife

Question 2

what were families like in the 1970s according to Young and Wilmott?

Answer 2

• based on study on couples in East Ldn, they took ’march of progress’ view
• saw families as gradually improving for its members, more equal and democratic
• argued there’s long term trend away from segregated conjugal roles and joint conjugal roles

Question 3

what did bott argue?

Answer 3

• segregated conjugal roles: couples have separate roles - male breadwinner and female homemaker, separate leisure time
• joint conjugal roles: where couples share tasks, like housework, childcare and leisure activities

Question 4

what type of family did young and wilmott find?

Answer 4

• symmetrical nuclear family
• roles of husbands and wives are now more similar:
  
  • women go out to work full time
  • men now help with housework and childcare
  • couples now spend leisure time together rather than separately

Question 5

who is the symmetrical family more common in?

Answer 5

• young couples
• due to change in women’s position, geographical mobility, new technology and higher standards of living

Question 6

what does Sullivan argue? (march of progress view)

Answer 6

• men are participating more in ‘female’ household chores

Question 7

what does Giddens argue? (egalitarian and negotiated family)

Answer 7

• in recent decades family and marriage have become more egalitarian as:
  
  • contraception has made sex and intimacy the main focus of relationships rather than reproduction
  • women have gained independence through increased education and work opportunities

Question 8

what does beck argue? (egalitarian and negotiated family)

Answer 8

• beck, like giddens, argues that two trends have undermined the traditional patriarchal family:
  
  • greater gender equality: this has challenged male domination, and women now expect equality in both work and marriage
  • greater individualism: where self-interest guides actions more than a sense of obligation to others

Question 9

what have trends noted by Giddens and beck led to?

Answer 9

• these trends have led to negotiated families
• don’t follow traditional norms but are based on discussion, equal partnership, and the individual needs of members

Question 10

what does Oakley argue? (feminist)

Answer 10

• little has changed in society
• men and women not equal, family not symmetrical
• found men were more likely to take part in pleasurable aspects

Question 11

supporting study: ball, brain, Vincent (feminist)

Answer 11

• 3/70 families
• father was main carer

Question 12

supporting study: southerton (feminist)

Answer 12

• mothers have the responsibility for managing the family’s quality time

Question 13

how does Oakley criticise young and wilmott?

Answer 13

• men in their 1950s study may not have been helping very much
• only 15% husbands took part in a lot of housework
• only 25% had high participation in childcare
  
  • meant that women often lost rewards of childcare eg play time

Question 14

what does boulton argue (feminist)

Answer 14

• less than 20% of husbands had major role in childcare
• argues that young and wilmott only looked at number of tasks males did, rather than type of tasks

Question 15

what did warde and hetherington argue (feminist)

Answer 15

• sex-typing of domestic work remained strong
• women more likely to do cleaning than men
• however they found younger men think that women weren’t destined for housework