Topic 1 - Couples Flashcards
How does Parsons explain instrumental and expressive roles?
The husband has the instrumental role, geared towards achieving success so he can provide for the family, financially
The wife has an expressive role, geared towards primary socialisation of the children and meeting the family’s emotional needs
How have Willmott and Young criticsed Parson’s view?
They argue that men are now taking are taking a greater share of domestic tasks and more wives are becoming wage earners
How does Bott distinguish between two types of conjugal roles?
Seperated conjugal roles - couples have seperate roles, male breadwinner, female homemaker
Joint conjugal roles - couples share tasks such as housework and childcare and spent leisure time together
What did Willmott and Young find in their study about families in London?
They found that the symmetrical family (trend towards joint conjugal roles) was more common among younger couples, those who are geographically and socially isolated and the more affluent
How does Oakley criticse Willmott and Young?
Claims their views are exaggerated - research into housewives, no evidence of a trend towards symmetry
Only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework, 25% had a high level for childcare
How do Duncombe and Marsden describe the ‘triple shift’?
Housework, paid work and emotional work
What is the economic explanation for gender divisions of labour?
Women generally earn less than men, meaning it is economically rational for women to do more of the housework and childcare while men spend more of their time earning money
What is the cultural or ideological explanation for gender divisions of labour?
The division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values that shape gender roles in our culture
Women perform domestic labour because that is what society expects them to do
How does Gershuny support the cultural explanation?
Couples whose parents had a more equal relationship are more likely to have an equal relationship themselves. This suggests parental role models are important.
Argues that social values are gradually adapting to the fact that women are now working full time, establishing a new norm thay men should do more domestic work
How does Ramos support the cultural explanation?
Found that where the women is the full-time breadwinner and the man is unemployed, he still does as much domestic work as she does
What types of control over family income did feminist sociologists Vogler and Pahl?
The allowance system - men give their wives an allowance out of which they have to budget to meet the families needs
Pooling - both parents have access to income and joint responsibility for expenditure eg; a joint bank account
What did Kempson find about family resources?
Families don’t share resources (food and money) equally. In low income families, women will deny needs like going out and eating proper portions of food so they can make ends meet
Women in most families have no entitlement to a share of household resources - view money as being better spent on the children
What did Ansara and Hindin find about domestic violence?
Women suffer more severe violence/control, leaving them with worse psychological effects - more likely then men to fear their partner
What statistic did Yearnshire find about domestic violence?
Women suffer an average of 35 assaults before making a report, domestic violence is the least reported violent crime so the stats are inaccurate
What is the radical feminist explanation for domestic violence?
As state institutions are dominated by men and men are the offenders of domestic violence, police/courts are reluctant to deal with cases effectively
