family (couples)

Question 1

Talcott Parsons (Functionalist)

Domestic Division of Labour

Answer 1

AO1: Parsons identified instrumental (male) and expressive (female) roles in the nuclear family.

AO2: Applies to traditional gender roles where the man is the breadwinner and the woman the homemaker.

AO3: Feminists argue this view justifies gender inequality.

Question 2

Young and Willmott (Functionalist)

March of Progress in Gender Roles

Answer 2

AO1: Argue that couples are moving towards the ‘symmetrical family’ with joint conjugal roles.

AO2: Evident in dual-earner households where chores and childcare are shared.

AO3: Oakley (Feminist) criticises this as exaggerated; women still do more.

Question 3

Ann Oakley (Feminist)

Domestic Labour Inequality

Answer 3

AO1: Found that only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework.

AO2: Reflects ongoing gender inequality in domestic settings.

AO3: More recent research suggests male participation has slightly increased.

Question 4

Duncombe and Marsden (Feminist)

Triple Shift

Answer 4

AO1: Women perform a triple shift: paid work, housework, and emotional labour.

AO2: Seen in dual-earner families where women still do most emotional support.

AO3: Postmodernists argue this is too deterministic; individuals now negotiate roles.