Evidence for (Gender) Equality in Families questions

Question 1

what was Talcott Parsons’ (1959) ‘warm bath theory’?

Answer 1

that the nuclear family stabilises adult personalities, both gaining support from the structure

Question 2

Duncome and Marsden (1995)

Answer 2

due to doing paid work, and being expected to complete all previous roles, women now experienced triple shift, consisting of:
1. employment
2. domestic work
3. emotional work

Question 3

what did Mansfield and Collard (1989) claim about newly married wives?

Answer 3

they were disappointed with the lack of emotional reciprocity in their marriages

Question 4

Young and Wilmott (1950s)

Answer 4

• there was a pattern of segregated conjugal roles (different roles, equal burden)
• trend towards equality (Partnership of Equals)

Question 5

Morris (1990)

Answer 5

that even when only the woman works, the husband did less housework

Question 6

what did Gershuny claim about the equality of couples?

Answer 6

• trend towards equality (caused by increase of paid employment of women)
• tasks still divided according to gender roles

Question 7

according to Giddens (1992) family has been transformed by what?

Answer 7

greater choice and more equal relationships

Question 8

What percentage of women are in employment? (ONS, 2024)

Answer 8

71.8%

(This is compared to 77.7% of men that same year)

Question 9

what did Brayfield (1992) discover about dual career families?

Answer 9

women still had major responsibility for domestic tasks

Question 10

what did Ann Oakley (1974) discover about conjugal roles?

Answer 10

• 15% of husbands had high level of participation in housework
• 25% of husbands had high level of participation in childcare

Question 11

Murdock (1949)

Answer 11

Four functions of the (nuclear) family:
1. sexual - married adults enjoy healthy sex life
2. reproduction - create next generation
3. economic - provide food and shelter (man works, woman stays at home)
4. education (socialisation) - helps build society consensus

Question 12

Betty Friedan (1963)

Answer 12

the feminine mystique:
women were socialised into believing that looking after a man and children should be totally fulfilling

Question 13

what percentage of part-time workers are women? (UK Women’s Budget Group)

Answer 13

74%

Question 14

what percentage of women in employment are part time workers? (ONS, 2024)

Answer 14

38%

Question 15

what fraction of children had their father as their primary caretaker? (Department for Education, 2023)

Answer 15

1/14

footnote
this has gone up from 4% in 1996 (Ferri and Smith)