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THE DIVISION OF LABOUR (A FEMINIST VIEW OF HOUSEWORK (how much men do?…
THE DIVISION OF LABOUR
PARSONS
HUSBAND - INSTRUMENTAL ROLE
provide financial background
WIFE - EXPRESSIVE ROLE
full-time housewife
labour based on biological differences
women ' naturally ' suited to nurture and men to provide
new right also holds this view
criticisim:
MICHAEL YOUNG & WILLMOTT ( 1962 )
greater share of domestic tasks
wives become wage earners
feminist
division of labour is not ' natural '
only benefits men
JOINT & SEGREGATED CONJUGAL ROLES
ELIZABETH BOTT ( 1957 )
SEGREGATED CONJUGAL ROLES
separate roles
separate leisure activities
JOINT CONJUGAL ROLE
share tasks
spend leisure time together
Bethnal Green, East London
men were breadwinners
men played little part in homelife
men spent leisure time with workmates in pubs and clubs
limited leisure women had was spent on kin
women were full time housewives, helped by female realtives
SYMMETRICAL FAMILY
YOUNG & WILLMOTT ( 1973 )
' MARCH OF PROGRESS ' VIEW
family life gradually improving for all members
more equal & democratic
long-term trend ~ segregated conjugal roles -> joint conjugal role & ' symmetrical family '
women going out to work
= equal division of labour at home
men more involved in housework & childcare
JONATHAN GERSHUNY ( 1994 )
women working full-time -> equal division of labour at home
using time studies
working women did less domestic work
ORIEL SULLIVAN ( 2000 )
Representative data collected in 1975, 1987 & 1997
trend: women doing less domestic work
men doing more
increase of equal division of labour
men participating in more traditional ' women's ' tasks
trends show changes in attitude to traditional division of labour
The British Social Attitudes survey ( 2013 )
fall in numbers of belief in traditional roles
1984
45% men & 41% women agreed
2012
13% men & 12 % women agreed
Roles of husband and wife are more similar
part-time work for women
men do housework & childcare
couples spend leisure time together
study in london
symmetrical family more common in young couples
socially, geographically isolated and more affluent
rise was due to social changes
changes in womens position
married women work
geographical mobility
living away from where they grew up
new technology
& labour-saving devices ( washing machines )
higher living standards
factors are interlinked
married women bring a second wage
rises family standards
couples can afford more labour-saving devices
housework easier
encourages men to do more
A FEMINIST VIEW OF HOUSEWORK
reject ' march of progress '
little has changed
unequal - women still do more housework
Inequality due to patriarchy society
ANN OAKLEY ( 1974 )
Criticises that the family is not symmetrical
could be exaggerated
husbands helped their wives once a week
could mean walking the children
RESEARCH
some evidence of husbands help
no evidence of symmetry
15% of husbands highly participated in housework
25% participation in childcare
husbands - took more pleasurable roles
father role - ' taking an interest '
good father
one who played with the children in the evening
' take them of her hands ' on sunday mornings
mothers don't have fun times with her child
left with more time for housework
MARY BOULTON ( 1983 )
looks at tasks involved in child care than responsibility
father - helped with specific tasks
less than 20% - played major roles in childcare
mother: child's security and well-being
ALAN WARDE & KEVIN HETHERINGTON ( 1993 )
men only did ' female ' tasks when partners absent
found slight change of attitude in young men
not assumed women do the housework
think they were doing less than their hair share
sex-typing of domestic task remained strong
wives: 30x to do washing
men: 4x more likely to wash the car
Little sign of ‘ new man ‘
women carry dual burden
how much men do?
Men: Average 8 hours of housework a day
Women: Average 13 hours
Men: 10 hours on care of family members
Women: 23 hours
Women did twice as much as men
60% women felt unjust
doing more than their fair share
Who does what?
Women took charge of:
laundry
, care for sick family members,
shop for groceries,
clean
prepare meals
Men would do:
small repairs around the house
does not measure the qualitative differences in tasks men and women perform
GRAHAM ALLAN ( 1985 )
women's tasks are less intrinsically satisying
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILDREN
BOULTON ( 1993 )
Fathers may preform specific role
mother takes responsibility for child's securty and well-being
SUPPORTED BY
DEX AND WARD ( 2007 )
only 1% of fathers took the responsibility of a sick child
BRAUN, VINCENT AND BALL ( 2011 )
3/70 families, the father was the caretaker
' background fathers '
helping with childcare was more about their relationship with their partners
' provider ideology '
fathers being the provider
' intensive mothering '
media showing how to be a good mother
FERRI AND SMITH ( 1996 )
Fathers took responsibility for childcare in 4% of families
EMOTION WORK AND THE TRIPLE SHIFT
ARLIE RUSSELL HOCHSCHILD ( 2013 )
feminist - ' emotion work '
responsible for managing emotions and feelings
Handling jealousies between siblings
everyone is happy
control over their own emotions
JEAN DUNCOMBE & DENNIS MARSDEN ( 1995 )
Women perform ‘ triple shift ‘ of housework, paid work and emotion work