The domestic division of labour-Sociologist list
Key:
Heheh-Sociologist Heheh-Important information
Parsons: instrumental and expressive roles
● Parsons(1955)→Functionalist(consensus view/theory)
- Instrumental and expressive roles
- Instrumental role→associated with the husband as he achieves success at work
and provides for the family financially(the breadwinner)
- Expressive role→associated with the wife as she is the primary socialisation
of the children(meets emotional needs) and is the homemaker rather than a
breadwinner
- Based on biological differences and is beneficial to both men and women to
their children and wider society
● Young and Willmott(1962)
- Criticises Parsons
- Men are now taking a larger share of domestic tasks and more wives are
becoming wage earners
Joint and segregated conjugal roles
● Bott(1957)
- Two types of conjugal roles within marriage:
1. Segregated conjugal roles→couples have separate roles(male breadwinner
and female homemaker), and leisure activities are also separate
2. Joint conjugal roles→couples share tasks such as housework/childcare and
spend their leisure time together
● Young and Willmott(1950’s)
- Study on Traditional working-class Families in Bethnal Green
- Men were the breadwinners, had little home life and spent their leisure time
with their mates in the pub
1
Key:
Heheh-Sociologist Heheh-Important information
Parsons: instrumental and expressive roles
● Parsons(1955)→Functionalist(consensus view/theory)
- Instrumental and expressive roles
- Instrumental role→associated with the husband as he achieves success at work
and provides for the family financially(the breadwinner)
- Expressive role→associated with the wife as she is the primary socialisation
of the children(meets emotional needs) and is the homemaker rather than a
breadwinner
- Based on biological differences and is beneficial to both men and women to
their children and wider society
● Young and Willmott(1962)
- Criticises Parsons
- Men are now taking a larger share of domestic tasks and more wives are
becoming wage earners
Joint and segregated conjugal roles
● Bott(1957)
- Two types of conjugal roles within marriage:
1. Segregated conjugal roles→couples have separate roles(male breadwinner
and female homemaker), and leisure activities are also separate
2. Joint conjugal roles→couples share tasks such as housework/childcare and
spend their leisure time together
● Young and Willmott(1950’s)
- Study on Traditional working-class Families in Bethnal Green
- Men were the breadwinners, had little home life and spent their leisure time
with their mates in the pub
1
