Segregated Conjugal roles-
clear differentiation of tasks
& separate hobbies
Joint Conjugal roles-
carrying out tasks
together and relaxing
together
Parsons
Expressive role- nurturing role
Instrumental role- the provider
Willmott & Young
March of Progress- move from
segregated to integrated
conjugal roles
Symmetrical Family- the roles in
the house become more similar
Strengths
More equality for women
Couples spend more leisure time together
Men can help with the housework & childcare
Limitations
Doesn't consider other cultures/working class families
Future Foundation- 60% out of 1,000 men
claimed to do more housework than their
fathers, 75% of women claimed to do less
than their mother
The New Man- young men are
sharing the household chores
equally/more than women
Feminism
Reject the "March of
Progress", argue that little
has changed & inequality
remains in households
Oakley- 15% of husbands had a high level
of participation, 25% had a high level of
childcare
Man Yee Kan- found
better-paid,younger,better-educated
women did less housework
Dunne- little change,
"gender scripts" that women
are expected to play
Compton & Lyonette
Cultural explanation of inequality
Patriarchal norms &
values that are
reinforced within society
Material explanation of inequality
Since women earn less, it's
more rational for men to go
out to work and earn, whilst
women care for children
Dual burden- paid work
and house work
Triple shift- paid work
and house work and
emotional support
Liberal Feminists
Inequality is gradually
being overcome
through legal reforms
& policy changes
Lesbian Couples & Gender Scripts
Dunne
Lesbians will describe their relationships as
equal, equal importance to both careers
and view childcare positively
Heterosexuals are under pressure to
conform to masc/fem gender scripts
Supports radical feminists belief that
heterosexual couples are inevitable
patriarchal
If one partner did more paid work,
the domestic work would be unequal-
paid work has an important influence
on the division of labour
Weeks- same-sex couples offer greater
possibilities of equality- division of labour
is open to negotiation & not based on
patriarchal tradition
Postmodernism
Giddens- couples are free to define their
relationships because of the greater
equality
Beck
Tradition has less influence
& people have more choice
Negotiated family- don't
conform to traditonal family
norm, and it's according to the
wishes and expectations of
the members
Decision Making & Money Management
Edgell
Very Important Decisions- decided by husband e.g. moving house
Important Decisions- jointly decided e.g. holidays
Less Important Decisions- decided by wife e.g. what food to eat
Pahl and Vogler
Pooling System- couple
share income and have
joint bank account
Allowance System- husband gives wife a
proportion of his income to meet the
family needs
Personal Life Perspective
Focus on the
meanings the couple
give to money
Weeks et al- many cohabiting couples
pooled some income for
housespending, kept the rest for
indivdual spending
Smart- same-sex couples
didn't attach any
importance to who
controlled the money
(greater freedom)
Domestic Violence
Women's Aid Federation 2008- physical,
psychological, sexual or financial violence that takes
plac within an intimate/family type relationship &
forms a pattern of coercive & controlling behaviours
Home Office 2013 Any incident/pattern of
incidents of controlling/coercive.threatening
behaviour/violence/abuse between aged 16+
who are/have been intimate partners/family
members regardless of gender/sexuality
Radical Feminists
Mirrlees Black- domestic abuse
follows a particular social pattern
1 in 4 women are a
victim of domestic
abuse (1 in 8 repeated)
1 in 6 men are a victim
of domestic abuse
4.3 million women have
experienced domestic abuse
since the age of 16
most victims are women
(99% by men)
7 million
frightening
threats
Dobash & Dobash
Cultural support for the view that
men have the "right" to
"discipline" their partners
Husbands justify it by saying the
wife was not performing her
domestic duties to his satisfaction
Many women are
economically dependent on
men, therefore are trapped
Believe it's inevitable feature of
patriarchal society and serves to
preserve men's power
Yearnshire- on average a
woman suffers 35 assults
before making a report
Materialist Explanation
Wilkinson- stress on family caused by social
inequality (low income, low chance of
maintaining stable relationships