Topic 6 - describing family relationships: conjugal relationships Flashcards
Introduction?
Since the 1970s, feminist perspectives have highlighted the importance of social connections within families, critiquing the functionalist view that emphasizes the positive role of the nuclear family centered around women. Feminists argue that this perspective overlooks how societal expectations restrict women to domestic roles, denying them social opportunities outside the home.
Congujal roles?
Historically, families often reflected segregated conjugal roles, with men as breadwinners and women as caregivers, leading to minimal time spent together. Men typically dominated decision-making and controlled finances. Functionalists argued that these roles were natural, with men in instrumental roles and women in expressive roles, a view supported by Parsons. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, feminists like Anne Oakley, Gavlon, and Firestone challenged this notion, revealing that many women felt oppressed by these traditional roles.
Domestic labour?
Social changes led to more women entering the workforce and a heightened focus on equal pay in the 1970s. Wilmott and Young observed that men were helping more at home, but still viewed domestic labor as primarily women’s work. Feminists like Oakley and Gavlon criticized housework as oppressive, leading to boredom and loneliness for women with heavy workloads. As women worked outside the home, feminists introduced the “triple shift” theory, highlighting the additional burdens women faced. Devine (1992) found that men began taking on domestic tasks out of necessity rather than choice or obligation.
Decision making?
Steven Edgell (1980) found that in middle-class families, men typically made infrequent but significant decisions, even when wives contributed financially. Pahl (1989) noted that men and women often handled different types of decisions—women managed daily choices like meals, while men took charge of major decisions such as purchasing a car. Hunt (1997) found that while women made more decisions, they tended to be less significant. HardHill et al. (1997) studied dual-income families and observed male dominance in decision-making, but also noted a shift towards more equal relationships.
Emotions?
Feminists criticize functionalism for overlooking the “dark side” of the conventional nuclear family, highlighting that male violence is often normalized. Erin Pizzey established the first refuge for abused women in London in 1971, leading to over 200 by the 1980s. Hanmer (1983) and Saunders (1984) found women’s behavior at home constrained by fear of men. Despite government prioritization of domestic abuse, statistics reveal significant violence, with 270,000 related crimes reported in 2013 and a murder rate of 77 partners that year.
On a more positive note, Anthony Giddens introduced the concept of “pure relationships,” where couples prioritize mutual satisfaction. He distinguished between romantic love and “confluent love.” Catherine Hakim (1985) controversially argued that women are less committed to work due to lower employment rates and suggested that women possess “erotic capital,” allowing them to manipulate men in personal and professional contexts.
