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Topic 1 Couples- Domestic Division of labour - Coggle Diagram
Topic 1 Couples- Domestic Division of labour
Definition Of domestic division of labour
This is the debate about whether or not men and women share housework. Functionalists argue that the division of natural and gradually disappearing Feminists tend to think the division still exists
Equality exists
Parsons: Husbands has instrumental jobs geared towards succeeding at work. Wife has expressive roles which is geared towards primary socialisation of children and meet families emotional needs
The division of labour is natural and based on biological differences with women being suited to natural role
Willmott and Young: Sees family as gradually improving and becoming more equal and democratic. Symmetrical families means the roles become more similar.
Women now go to work although this may be part time and men now help with childcare and spend leisure time together
Symmetrical families is because of major social changes for example higher standard of living and changes in women's positions
Bott: Joint conjugal Roles are when the couple shares tasks such as housework and childcare and spend leisure time together
Equality doesn't exists
Bott: Segregated Conjugal roles are when couples have separate roles and leisure time is spend separately. Wilmott and young identified a pattern of segregated roles in working class families in the 1950s where men were the breadwinners and women were the homemaker
Ann Oakley: Criticise Willmott and Young and argues that the claims are exaggerated and found husbands help in the home but found no evidence of a trend towards equality
Only 15% of husbands had high levels of participation in housework. Husbands were more likely to help with childcare
Impact of paid work on women and equality in the home
Evidence towards equality
Gershuny: Argues that women working full time is leading to a more equal division of labour and these women did less domestic work
Sullivan: Analusis of nationally represented data found a trend towards women doing a smaller share of domestic work and men foing more.
Also showed an increase in the amount of couples with equal division of labour and men are participating more in traditional women's tasks
This reflects changes in attitudes to the traditional division of labour
Evidence of inequality
Ferri and Smith: Found fathers took responsibility for children in fewer than 4% of families
Dex and Ward- Although fathers had high levels of involvement with there 3 year olds when it came to caring for a sick child only 1% fathers took the main responsibility
Hochschild- Noted that women are responsible for managing emotions and feelings within the family such as handling fights
Explaining gender division of labour
Cultural Explanation
Equality will only be achieved when norms about gender roles improve and invlolves a change in attitudes and role models
Gershuny: Couples whose parents have more equal division of labour are more likely to share household equality
Material Explanation
If women join the labour force and earn as much as their partner there should be more equal amount of domestic labour
Kan: Every £10,000 a year more a women earns she does 2 hours less homework per week
Gender scripts are cultural norms that set out the different gender roles men and women are expected to play