Chapter 8 Flashcards
1
Q
8 issues of division of household labour
A
- invisible/low-status/repetitive
- industrialization
- labour saving devices
- value
- occupational inequalities
- childcare
- effect on paid work
- homemaker issues
2
Q
invisible/low-status/repetitive
A
You can do certain tasks (ie. Vacuuming) a million times, and you’ll still have to do it; the horrible housework jobs usually go to the lower-status partner
3
Q
industrialization
A
reinforced traditional roles - ads for laundry machines, dishwashers, etc. advocated the domestic sphere to women
4
Q
labour saving devices
A
mixed blessing - housework took less time, but this caused increased standards of cleanliness and meal prep
5
Q
value
A
- opportunity cost vs. replacement cost
- Opportunity cost – what homemakers would learn if employed
- Replacement cost – hourly earning gained in labour market for similar jobs -> if I had to hire someone to do all the things I do, how much would it cost?
6
Q
occupational inequalities
A
- Lower pay for women (earning gap of 70 cents)
- Double-shift for women (having employment and also doing housework)
- Men contribute to tasks that can be postponed (eg. Repairs, yardwork)
- Stay-at-home dads rare and stigmatized
7
Q
childcare
A
- Biggest domestic component
- Increases housework and reduces work hours
- Childcare programs do not accommodate irregular work schedules
- Not always affordable to those who need it most
8
Q
effects on paid work
A
- Women working alters authority patterns (separate bank accounts, decisions on major purchases)
- Employers feel women have less of a commitment to work
- Women make more use of parental leave and flextime
- Decline promotions and jobs that require travel
- Men seen as more stable if married with children
9
Q
homemaker issues
A
- Divorce/separation causes homemakers to fall into poverty (child support may not be a lot, spousal support is very temporary)
- Imported homemakers/nannies can be exploited (and sent back at will)
10
Q
overload
A
- excessive amount of work where you’re unable to keep up physically or emotionally
- Increased with technology (cell phones, email) -> people expect immediate responses
- Historically most NOT working longer – stay in school, retire early EXCEPT for those in primary labour market jobs (well paid/high qualifications)
- Family life not as egalitarian as work life, so many women like their time at work better than with their families
11
Q
culturally induced stress
A
- inability to get all the work done leads to stress and guilt induced feelings
- Women’s expectations different from men’s -> more stress
- Men get help/don’t do domestic work
- Women try to be “supermoms” -> overachieve
- Feel guilty if work gets in the way of family/relationships
12
Q
spillover
A
- workers bring home workplace strain
- More demanding jobs spill over more
- Mothers ignore children; fathers pick fights with children
13
Q
efforts at solutions
A
- Micro-solutions: personal and familial
- Macro-solutions: corporate
14
Q
micro-solutions
A
- Mom stays home
- Have fewer children
- Time management (routines)
- Rely on extended family or outsource work
- Change work arrangements (part-time, shift work, self-employment, home office)
15
Q
macro-solutions
A
- Onsite childcare
- Paid maternity leave (less costly than replacement)
- Paternity leave (cheap – few men take it)
- Flextime – same number of hours/week but have some choice in when to work them
- Part-time work – employer doesn’t have to pay benefits
- Job-sharing – employer must pay for benefits for both
