gender roles: Parsons + Young and Willmott + Elizabeth Bott

Question 1

what do functionalist sociologists such as Parsons and Young + Willmott suggest?

Answer 1

suggest that industrialisation has led to an increase in egalitarian marriage

Question 2

where do functionalists think that spouses relationship have become more equal in terms of

Answer 2

-participation in housework
-child-care
-decision-making

Question 3

domestic division of labour - Parsons

Answer 3

man=breadwinner of the family, instrumental role
female= expressive role, housewife , meets emotional needs of family, responsible for primary socialisation of children

Question 4

Parsons argues that segregated roles are a product of

Answer 4

biological differences

Question 5

For functionalists, segregated roles are beneficial to

Answer 5

stabilise society and socialise children
correctly

Question 6

Young and Willmott study: The Symmetrical Family (1973)

Answer 6

-claimed that the extended family was characterised by segregated conjugal roles, i.e. husbands went out to work whilst wives were exclusively responsible for housework and child-care
-separated leisure time

Question 7

What type of approach do young and willmott take?

Answer 7

A ‘march of progress’ view
-argue modern couples have abandoned old-fashioned + unequal segregated marital roles so now have joint conjugal roles

Question 8

what does Y+M argue about the extended family?

Answer 8

-the extended family has been replaced by a privatised nuclear family characterised by symmetry.

• Modern marriage is characterised by joint conjugal roles meaning that women are now going out to work and men are doing a fairer share of domestic tasks.

-leisure time increasingly shared

Question 9

Y + M believe the rise in the symmetrical nuclear family is due to 4 main social changes that have happened over the past century, what are they?

Answer 9

1) change in women’s positions
2) geographical mobility
3) new technology
4)higher standards of living

Question 10

changes in women’s positions

Answer 10

women can now work

Question 11

geographical mobility

Answer 11

more couples live away from home + more job opportunities

Question 12

new technology

Answer 12

can help reduce domestic labour e.g washing machines
emergence of new man- Caring, sharing man, helps with housework, childcare, rejects sexist
attitudes, rise in ‘househusbands’ and those
helping with childcare

Question 13

support of new man

Answer 13

Man Yee Kan: younger men do more
housework supporting the ‘New Man’
younger people more exposed to movements eg feminism

Question 14

higher standards of living

Answer 14

more income-dual workers

Question 15

parsons argues pre-industrial families were

Answer 15

usually extended families - society less developed
The Industrial Revolution changed family structure, family became more geographically mobile
-segregated roles

Question 16

evaluation of young and willmott

Answer 16

-women still experience dual burden
-couples who do divided domestic tasks split it according to traditional gender roles(men=diy, women=cooking)
-There is lots of feminist research to suggest that the “symmetrical family” is a myth(ann oakley Y+M see a man who helps with washing dishes once a week as ‘helpful’
The modern nuclear family is presented in an idealistic way- ignores dark side of the family

Question 17

how do sociologists Duncombe and Marden criticise Y+M?
Women are also responsible for the emotional well-being of their partners and children

Answer 17

women perform a ‘triple shift’

Question 18

oakley found that

Answer 18

Y+M give equal weight to fathers playing with children and mothers washing the dishes and preparing meals
-men cherry pick roles Gatrell
-husbands saw housework + child work as ‘her work’ rather than a joint chore

Question 19

Gillian Dunne

Answer 19

-looked at 37 lesbian couples with children and found that because the partners were both female they were more likely to share housework, give importance to both partners careers + share childcare
- no pressure to [reform gender roles as there is with a man and women

Question 20

elizabeth bott

Answer 20

two main ways of dividing roles in a marriage:
-joint conjgal roles
-segregated conjugal role

Question 21

joint conjugal roles

Answer 21

-partners have interchangeable, flexible roles
-both partners are likely to work (dual worker family)
-partners have the same friends + similar leisure interests

Question 22

segregated conjugal roles

Answer 22

-partners have clearly separate roles
-men=breadwinner, make important decisions, do technical jobs at home
-women= expressive role
-partners have different friends + leisure activities