The Domestic Division of Labour

Question 1

Define a household

Answer 1

A household is a person living alone or a group of people living together. This group may or may not be related to one another

Question 2

Define a family

Answer 2

A family is a group of people united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, living and interacting with one another in a single household

Question 3

What is Parson’s Functionalist model of the family (division of labour)

Answer 3

A01:
Traditional nuclear families - segregated + distinct roles
e.g Parson’s Functionalist model of the family:
- Husband - instrumental role which involves being the breadwinner + successful at work to provide financially for family
- Wife - expressive role which being the homemaker & being the source of primary socialisation for her children and meeting family’s emotional needs

Parsons’ division of labour is based on biological differences

• women ‘naturally’ suited to nurturing role
• men ‘naturally’ suited to being providers

Question 4

Describe Bott’s idea of joint and segregated conjugal roles (division of labour)

Answer 4

Bott - two types of conjugal roles within marriage:

• Segregated conjugal role: couple have separate roles - e.g male breadwinner and female homemaker. Leisure activities tend to be separate as well
• Joint conjugal role: couple shares tasks e.g housework + childcare. Leisure time spent together

Question 5

What is Young + Willmott’s view of domestic division of labour?

Evaluate their view.

Answer 5

A01:
Young + Willmott - ‘March of Progress’ view: family life is gradually improving for all its members. Believe there is more ‘symmetrical families’, as Y+W found in their survey 72% husbands help by doing at least 1 chore a week.
-more families using joint conjugal roles to divide labour so more women going out to work, more men helping with housework + childcare, couples spend leisure time together

A03:

• Oakley, argues Y+W claim is exaggerated
• Although most husbands they interviewed “helped” their wives at least once a week, this could include really simple tasks e.g making breakfast one time
• Oakley - not convincing evidence of symmetry

Question 6

Trend of symmetrical families (division of labour)

What are the reasons for this trend according to Y + W?

Answer 6

Young + Willmott found in London that symmetrical families are more common among younger couples, those who are geographically + socially isolated and more affluent couples.

• Changes in women’s position, including married women going out to work
• Geographical mobility - more couples living away from the communities in which they grew up in
• New technology and labour saving devices
• Higher standards of living

Question 7

What is Feminists’ view of domestic division of labour

Answer 7

• Feminists reject “march of progress” view
  - inequality within family
  - due to society being male dominated + patriarchal

-Although husbands more likely to share in childcare than in housework, they only participate in positive aspects e.g playing with children. This only means that mothers lose the rewards of childcare and have more time for housework
-Boulton found fewer than 20% of husbands had a major role in childcare
-Warde and Hetherington found sex typing of tasks remained strong
- wives 30 times more likely to be last one to have done the washing
-husbands 4 times more likely to have been last one to wash the car
A03:
-Younger men had different attitude, more likely to think they were doing less than their fair share