Families & Households – Condensed
Revision Notes:
Couples:
Domestic division of labour: Parsons instrumental and expressive roles;
(instrumental = breadwinner, expressive = homemaker). Bott joint and
segregated conjugal roles. The symmetrical family – Young & Willmott march
of progress stems from changes in women’s position, geographical mobility, new
technology and higher standards of living. Feminists reject m.o.p view; Oakley
argues view is exaggerated, men 15% housework and 25% childcare but only fun
aspects. Boulton – 20% specific tasks; Warde & Hetherington sex-typing
strong.
Are couples becoming more equal? Gershuny – women working = more
equality. Sullivan – more equal couples. B.S.A.S – 1984 40% + sex typing,
2012 13% agreed. Feminism = no new man, women do 2x as much as men, less
satisfying. Boulton, Ferri & Smith, Dex & Ward, Ball et al = 3/70 men main
carer for children, background dad, mothering in media. Dual burden and triple
shift – Southerton – mum manage quality time – hers is interrupted.
Cultural exp of inequality: Crompton & Lyonette determined by patriarchal
norms and values through socialisation. Change attitudes, role models, values
etc. Dunne – lesbian more symmetrical as no gender scripts.
Material exp of inequality: Economically rational for women to do more at
home. Better paid m/c women can afford products and services to help.
Unemployed men do more. May have children so only work part time.
Resources and decision making: Barrett & McIntosh men gain more than
they give back, financial support unpredictable and comes with strings attached.
Kempson – women deny own needs and responsible for money management.
Vogler – allowance system = budget, men retain surplus. Pooling = joint
responsibility. Decision making; men = majority. Hardill – important = man,
less important = wife – economically dependent. Cohabit = more equal, money
has no meaning. Personal life perspective: Smart, Weeks et al – no importance
to who controlled money (same sex).
Domestic violence: ‘few disturbed individuals’ – too widespread and doesn’t
occur randomly, women victims, 1/3 killed by partner. Dobash & Dobash
violence is challenge to authority, marriage legitimates violence – power,
authority and dependency. Women victims of multiple incidents, stats biased as
unwilling to report, family = private, neglect danger and assume good, free
agents that can leave at any time.
Radical fem exp of D.V: Millet & Firestone all societies founded on
patriarchy. Male dominance of institutions explains reluctance of police. Not all
men are aggressive, ignores women’s violence and doesn’t explain why women
are victims!
Materialist exp of D.V: Inequalities in income/housing; Wilkinson & Pickett
dv = stress = low income/poor housing, increases conflict. Lack of money/time
, restricts social circle and support. Explains class differences. Marxist fem –
Ansley ‘takers of shit’ – product of capitalism.
Childhood:
Modern western notion of childhood: Immature, need nurture. Pilcher –
separateness, golden age, socially constructed. Cross-cult differences –
Benedict non-industrial societies, take responsibility at early age, less value on
obedience and tolerate child sexual behaviour. Globalisation of western
childhood. Historical differences; Aries mini adults, high death rates. Modern
culture: schools – loss of influence of church, century of the child, laws restrict
child labour, compulsory schooling, 1989 Children Act, declining family size,
medical knowledge.
Future: Postman disappearance of childhood, television culture. Separate
status with mass literacy, TV blurs info hierarchy, diminish innocence.
Postmodernity; Jenks insecurity so child becomes source of identity, protect
from dangers, more regulation. Over-generalised.
Position of childhood: March of progress: child-centred family, focal point.
Toxic childhood: Palmer technological and cultural changes damage
development. Conflict view: inequalities among children, inequalities between
adults and children. Among children: ethnic and gender differences, e.g. boys
allowed out late, more strict on Asian daughters. Poor mum = low birth weight =
delayed development, unskilled workers = conduct disorders, fall behind in
school. Between adults and children: protect from paid work = dependant.
Neglect and abuse, control over child’s space, control child’s time, bodies and
access to resources.
Age patriarchy: Can’t make rational decisions, act up/down. Danger of seeing
children as passive objects (adultist view). Children create own definition of
family.
Demography:
Births: More women remaining childless. Changes in women’s position, decline
in infant mortality rate, economic liability, child-centredness. Effects: smaller
families – dual earner, dependency ratio – reduces dependency/lonely. Policies:
housing, mat/pat leave, fewer schools.
Deaths: Diseases of affluence, improved nutrition, medical improvements,
reduce smoking and better diet, public health services, higher incomes etc. Life
expectancy increased, women live longer than men.
Revision Notes:
Couples:
Domestic division of labour: Parsons instrumental and expressive roles;
(instrumental = breadwinner, expressive = homemaker). Bott joint and
segregated conjugal roles. The symmetrical family – Young & Willmott march
of progress stems from changes in women’s position, geographical mobility, new
technology and higher standards of living. Feminists reject m.o.p view; Oakley
argues view is exaggerated, men 15% housework and 25% childcare but only fun
aspects. Boulton – 20% specific tasks; Warde & Hetherington sex-typing
strong.
Are couples becoming more equal? Gershuny – women working = more
equality. Sullivan – more equal couples. B.S.A.S – 1984 40% + sex typing,
2012 13% agreed. Feminism = no new man, women do 2x as much as men, less
satisfying. Boulton, Ferri & Smith, Dex & Ward, Ball et al = 3/70 men main
carer for children, background dad, mothering in media. Dual burden and triple
shift – Southerton – mum manage quality time – hers is interrupted.
Cultural exp of inequality: Crompton & Lyonette determined by patriarchal
norms and values through socialisation. Change attitudes, role models, values
etc. Dunne – lesbian more symmetrical as no gender scripts.
Material exp of inequality: Economically rational for women to do more at
home. Better paid m/c women can afford products and services to help.
Unemployed men do more. May have children so only work part time.
Resources and decision making: Barrett & McIntosh men gain more than
they give back, financial support unpredictable and comes with strings attached.
Kempson – women deny own needs and responsible for money management.
Vogler – allowance system = budget, men retain surplus. Pooling = joint
responsibility. Decision making; men = majority. Hardill – important = man,
less important = wife – economically dependent. Cohabit = more equal, money
has no meaning. Personal life perspective: Smart, Weeks et al – no importance
to who controlled money (same sex).
Domestic violence: ‘few disturbed individuals’ – too widespread and doesn’t
occur randomly, women victims, 1/3 killed by partner. Dobash & Dobash
violence is challenge to authority, marriage legitimates violence – power,
authority and dependency. Women victims of multiple incidents, stats biased as
unwilling to report, family = private, neglect danger and assume good, free
agents that can leave at any time.
Radical fem exp of D.V: Millet & Firestone all societies founded on
patriarchy. Male dominance of institutions explains reluctance of police. Not all
men are aggressive, ignores women’s violence and doesn’t explain why women
are victims!
Materialist exp of D.V: Inequalities in income/housing; Wilkinson & Pickett
dv = stress = low income/poor housing, increases conflict. Lack of money/time
, restricts social circle and support. Explains class differences. Marxist fem –
Ansley ‘takers of shit’ – product of capitalism.
Childhood:
Modern western notion of childhood: Immature, need nurture. Pilcher –
separateness, golden age, socially constructed. Cross-cult differences –
Benedict non-industrial societies, take responsibility at early age, less value on
obedience and tolerate child sexual behaviour. Globalisation of western
childhood. Historical differences; Aries mini adults, high death rates. Modern
culture: schools – loss of influence of church, century of the child, laws restrict
child labour, compulsory schooling, 1989 Children Act, declining family size,
medical knowledge.
Future: Postman disappearance of childhood, television culture. Separate
status with mass literacy, TV blurs info hierarchy, diminish innocence.
Postmodernity; Jenks insecurity so child becomes source of identity, protect
from dangers, more regulation. Over-generalised.
Position of childhood: March of progress: child-centred family, focal point.
Toxic childhood: Palmer technological and cultural changes damage
development. Conflict view: inequalities among children, inequalities between
adults and children. Among children: ethnic and gender differences, e.g. boys
allowed out late, more strict on Asian daughters. Poor mum = low birth weight =
delayed development, unskilled workers = conduct disorders, fall behind in
school. Between adults and children: protect from paid work = dependant.
Neglect and abuse, control over child’s space, control child’s time, bodies and
access to resources.
Age patriarchy: Can’t make rational decisions, act up/down. Danger of seeing
children as passive objects (adultist view). Children create own definition of
family.
Demography:
Births: More women remaining childless. Changes in women’s position, decline
in infant mortality rate, economic liability, child-centredness. Effects: smaller
families – dual earner, dependency ratio – reduces dependency/lonely. Policies:
housing, mat/pat leave, fewer schools.
Deaths: Diseases of affluence, improved nutrition, medical improvements,
reduce smoking and better diet, public health services, higher incomes etc. Life
expectancy increased, women live longer than men.
