Couples Flashcards
(39 cards)
What is a household?
A person living alone or a group of people living together. May or may not be related to one another.
What is the domestic division of labour?
Refers to the roles that men and women play in relation to housework, childcare and paid work.
What is Parsons view on the instrumental and expressive roles of the family?
The husband has an instrumental role, the breadwinner. The wife has an expressive role, the homemaker, a full time housewife rather than a wage earner.
What is Parsons view on the division of labour?
He argues that this division of labour is based on biological differences, with women ‘naturally’ suited to the nurturing role and men to that of the provider.
What 2 types of conjugal roles does Botts distinguish between?
Segregated conjugal roles, where the couples have separate roles/leisure activities. Joint conjugal roles, where the couples share tasks such as housework and childcare.
What type of view does Young and Willmott take towards The Symmetrical Family?
A ‘march of progress’ view. They see family life as gradually improving for all its members; becoming more equal and democratic.
In Young and Willmott study of families in London, what did they find regarding The Symmetrical Family?
The Symmetrical Family was more common among younger couples, those who are geographically and socially isolated, are the more affluent.
What 4 social changes does Young and Willmott see as the result of the rise of The Symmetrical Family?
- Changes in women’s position
- Geographical mobility, living away from the communities in which they grew up
- New technology & labour saving devices
- Higher standards of living
What does Anne Oakley say about Young and Willmott’s ‘march of progress’ view?
She criticises it and says their claims are exaggerated, their evidence was hardly convincing.
In Oakley’s own research on housewives what did she find?
Only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework, and only 25% in childcare. Husbands were more likely to share in childcare than in housework, but only its more pleasurable aspects.
What did Gershuny say on the ‘march of progress’ view?
He argues that women working full-time is leading to a more equal division of labour in the home.
What is the feminist view on women going into paid work?
- It has led to greater inequality in the domestic division of labour
- There is still little sign of the ‘new man’ who does an equal share of housework and childcare
- Women now carry a dual burden.
What is Boulton’s view in taking responsibility for children?
Although fathers may help by performing specific childcare tasks, it is usually the mother who takes responsibility for the child’s security and well-being.
Which 3 studies support Boulton’s view?
- Ferri and Smith says that fewer than 4% of husbands take responsibility in childcare.
- Dex and Ward says only 1% of fathers took the main responsibility in caring for a sick child.
- Braun, Vincent and Ball found that out of 70 families studied only 3 fathers was the main carer.
What other aspect did Hochschild say about taking responsibility for other family members?
The ‘emotion work’, women are often required to perform emotion work, where they are responsible for managing the emotions and feelings of family members.
What does Duncombe and Marsden argue?
That women have to perform a ‘triple shift’ of housework, paid work and emotion work.
Overall has there been some movement towards an equal division of labour?
Gershuny suggests a move towards greater equality, whereas other evidence such as the British Social Attitudes survey indicates continuing inequality.
What two explanations did Crompton and Lyonette identify for the unequal division of labour?
The cultural or ideological explanation: the division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values that shape gender roles.
The material or economic explanation: the fact that women generally earn less than men it is economically rational for women to do more of the housework and childcare.
What evidence is there for the cultural explanation?
Gershuny emphasises the importance of parental role models, couples who’s parents had a more equal relationship are more likely to be equal as well.
Man Yee Khan found that younger men do more domestic work, generational shift in behaviour.
The British Social Attitudes Survey found that less than 10% of under-35s agreed with traditional division of labour, as against to 30% of the over-65s.
Dunne found that lesbian couples had more symmetrical relationships because of the absence of ‘gender scripts’.
What evidence is there for the material explanation?
Kan found that for every £10,000 a year more a women earns, she does 2 hours less housework per week.
Arber and Ginn found that better-paid, middle class women were more able to buy in commercially produced products and services (domestic help).
Ramos found that where the women is the full-time breadwinner and the man is unemployed, he does as much as domestic labour as she does.
What does Barrett and McIntosh say regarding who controls the family’s income?
-Men gain far more from women’s domestic work than they give back in financial support.
-The financial support that husbands give to their wives is often unpredictable and comes with ‘strings’ attached.
-Men usually make the decisions about spending on important items.
What did Kempson find among low income families?
He found that women denied their own needs, seldom going out, skipping meals or eating small portions of food in order to make ends meet.
What 2 types of control over family income did Pahl and Vogler identify?
Pooling, where both partners have access to income and joint responsibility for expenditure.
The allowance system, where men give their wives an allowance out of which they have to budget to meet the family’s needs (the man having surplus income for himself)
What did Edgell’s study find?
Very important decisions, were either taken by the husband alone or jointly but with the husband having the final say (eg finance).
Important decisions, were usually taken by jointly and seldom by the wife alone (eg children’s education/holiday).
Less important decisions, were usually wife made (eg house decor/clothes).
