Family's and Households : domestic division of labour Flashcards
(18 cards)
What does domestic division of labour mean?
the roles of men and women in relations to housework, childcare and paid work
]What did Parsons (Functionalist) argue about roles in the family?
➡️ Instrumental role (breadwinner) = male
➡️ Expressive role (nurturing, caregiving) = female
➡️ This division is natural and functional for society
How do Feminists evaluate Parsons’ view?
➡️ Feminists argue this division is not natural – it is socially constructed and patriarchal, reinforcing gender inequality
What did Bott identify about conjugal roles?
➡️ Joint conjugal roles – shared tasks, leisure together
➡️ Segregated conjugal roles – traditional division (men = work, women = home)
What did Young & Willmott argue in their “march of progress”
➡️ Families becoming more symmetrical:
More joint roles
Shared leisure
Men helping more with domestic work
➡️ Especially in younger, middle-class, geographically mobile families
How do Feminists criticise the “symmetrical family” idea?
➡️ Say it’s exaggerated – women still do the majority of housework
➡️ Oakley (1974): Only 15% of men had high participation in housework, 25% in childcare
What did Oakley find in her study of housework?
➡️ Housework is not shared equally
➡️ Women carry the burden of unpaid labour, even when in paid work
➡️ Criticised Young & Willmott’s view as idealised
What did Boulton find about childcare?
➡️ Even if fathers help, mothers still have primary responsibility
➡️ Fathers seen as helpers rather than equals
What is the dual burden (Hochschild)?
➡️ Women do paid work and still take responsibility for housework
➡️ Leads to stress and exhaustion
What is the triple shift (Duncombe & Marsden)?
➡️ Women perform:
Paid work
Housework
Emotional work (supporting family members)
What did Dunne find about lesbian couples?
➡️ Lesbian couples more likely to have equal domestic roles
➡️ No traditional gender scripts = more negotiated roles
What did Sullivan find about modern families?
➡️ Trend toward greater equality
➡️ Men doing more housework (esp. younger men), women doing less
What impact does a woman’s paid employment have on domestic roles?
➡️ Gershuny: Full-time working women do less domestic work
➡️ But equality is not automatic – depends on social norms
What did Man Yee Kan find about income and domestic labour?
➡️ For every £10,000 increase in woman’s income, she did 2 hours less housework per week
➡️ Higher income = more equality
What is the material explanation of inequality in the home?
➡️ Based on economic power – whoever earns more does less housework
➡️ Supported by Kan and Gershuny
What is the cultural explanation of inequality in the home?
➡️ Based on gender norms and socialisation – what people believe is “appropriate” for men vs women
➡️ Women do more because they’re socialised to
How does ethnicity and class affect the division of labour?
➡️ Working-class families may hold more traditional views
➡️ South Asian families may show more gendered roles (but this is changing)
Key Evaluation Point: Is the family becoming more equal?
✅ Younger couples more equal
✅ Same-sex couples less gendered
❌ Women still do most unpaid labour
❌ “Choice” may still be shaped by patriarchy and norms
