Topic 4- Domestic Division Of Labour Flashcards
What is the functionalist view of DDOL?
-Parsons
-Trad nuclear family
-Have different roles which are biologically suited to husband and wife
-Husband: instrumental- success at work
-Wife: expressive- primary socialisation- homemaker
-Willmott and Young: men are taking on more domestic tasks and more women involved in paid work
-Feminists: DOL is a social construct designed to benefit men
What evidence is there to support the symmetrical debate from Wilmott and Young?
-March of progress: family is gradually improving- more equal and democratic
-Long-term trend away from segregated conjugal roles to joint
-Carried out study in 50s of working class extended families- found men were the breadwinners and spent freetime with workmates at the pub, women were caregivers and had sole responsibility to children and house- little leisure time spent with female relatives
-1973 identified trend to joint conjugal roles and symmetrical family- involves both partners in paid work, role in domestic work and childcare etc
-Younger couples more symmetrical- position of women, geo mobile, new tech etc
What evidence is there to support the symmetrical debate from Sullivan?
-Over 25 years trend towards equal DDOL as men did more domestic work or ‘women tasks’
-1975- 82% of husbands worked full time with wives unemployed compared to 73% in 1997
-Men typically did bigger less infrequent tasks e.g house repairs
-Women did frequent smaller jobs e.g regular house cleaning and cooking
What evidence is there to support the symmetrical debate from the British Attitudes Survey (2013)?
-Fall in number of people who think it’s a man’s job to earn money and the women’s to look after home and family
-‘Who does the laundry’- in 1994- 1% said the man normally does it, compared to 6% in 2012
-‘Who cares for the sick family members’- in 1994- 48% said women usually does it, compared to 36% in 2012
-Feminists: little sign of ‘new man’ as couples stick to trad gender roles
What evidence is there to support the symmetrical debate from Future Foundations?
-Study of 1000 adults found: 60% of men claimed to do more housework than father and 75% of women claimed to do less than her mother
What evidence is there to go against the symmetrical debate from Oakley?
Argues male dominated society is reason for unequal DOL
Oakley criticises W&Y March of progress
They said husbands helped wives at least once a week by taking children for a walk or making breakfast
Oakley says this isn’t symmetry
Found 15% of husbands had high level of involvement in housework and 25% in childcare
Fathers role was ‘taking an interest’ or would ‘take them off her hands’ occasionally
Women used pleasure time with children and spacetime on housework
Wilmott and Young
What evidence is there to go against the symmetrical debate from Dex and Ward?
-Took inspiration from Boultons study who found it was almost always the mother responsible for a child’s security and well being
-Found fathers had high levels of involvement with their 3 y/o- 78% played with their children
-Only 1% of fathers took main responsibility when caring for a sick child
What evidence is there to go against the symmetrical debate from Hochschild?
-Women required to perform emotional work- managing feelings of family and themselves e.g stress
-Dunscombe and Marsden: women performing triple shift- paid work, housework and emotional work
What evidence is there to go against the symmetrical debate from Southerton?
-Flexible working patterns means time is ‘de-routinised’- quality time difficult for women
-Men more likely to experience blocks of uninterrupted leisure time whereas women’s leisure time is of childcare and multitasking
-Dual burden- face increased volume of activities to manage
How is the gendered division of labour explained through socialisation?
Cultural explanation:
Gershuny- couples whose parents had an equal relationship are more likely be equal in housework for theirs
Social values adapting to women working full time, est new norm for men doing housework
‘Lagged adaption’
How is the gendered division of labour explained through shift in social attitudes?
-Cultural explanation:
-British Attitudes Survey (2013)- Found that less than 10% of under 35s agreed with trad DOL compared to 30% of over 65s
-Cultural March of progress and changes in gender role socialisation amongst younger age groups
How is the gendered division of labour explained through equality in society/ sexuality?
-Found lesbian couples are more symmetrical
-Gender scripts that dictate cultural expectations don’t affect them
-Heterosexuals under pressure to conform through different gender roles
-In contrast lesbians aren’t bound to a gender script allowing more equality
How is the gendered division of labour explained through CPOW?
-Material explanation:
-Man Ye Kan- for every 10k a year more a women earns she does two hours less housework a week
How is the gendered division of labour explained through a high standard of living?
-Material explanation:
-Arber and Gin- greater equality depends on the social class of a women
-Middle-class women were able to afford childcare and time-saving devices when working
-Working class women could not so stuck in cycle of low paid, part time work
How is the gendered division of labour explained through new technology?
-Material explanation:
-Silver and Schor- housework has become commercialised
-Goods and services previously produced by housewives are now mass produced and supplied by supermarkets
-Flowers, microwaves, ready meals all reduce domestic labour, and working women can afford all these reducing labour
