What do sociologists think regarding the domestic division of labour?

Question 1

Wilmott and Young (Functionalists)

Answer 1

• ‘march of progress’ view where they see family life as becoming equal and democratic
• conducted interview research of approximately 2000 people in Bethnal Green

Question 2

Oakley (Feminist)

Answer 2

• argued the symmetrical marriage was a myth and Wilmott and Young’s claims are exaggerated (critical of their methodology)

Question 3

Warde et al

Answer 3

• used a sample of approximately 320 households in the North West and found that the distribution of labour was still largely gendered

Question 4

Arber and Ginn

Answer 4

• point out that many working class women can’t afford full-day childcare

Question 5

Gregson and Lowe

Answer 5

• studied the employment of domestic ‘help’ by dual-earner middle-class families and found it was more economical to employ working class women as nannies/cleaners than for the ‘wife’ to stay at home

Question 6

Duncombe and Marsden

Answer 6

• argued that women are expected to do a triple shift which includes emotional work

Question 7

Southerton

Answer 7

• recognising that another responsibility that usually falls to mothers is coordinating, scheduling and managing ‘quality time’

Question 8

Crompton and Lyonette

Answer 8

• identify the two different explanations for the unequal division of labour as the cultural/ ideological explanation and the material or economic