Families and Households: Lesson 3
The Domestic Division of Labour
Key Terms: Parsons (1955):
Division of labour- the roles that men
and women play in relation to - Believed that the nuclear family is the superior form of
housework, childcare and paid work. family.
Segregated conjugal roles- very - Heterosexual married couple with not a lot of kids.
traditional, like Parsons’ views. - Husband’s roles- achieving success at work, financially
Joint conjugal roles- husband and wife supporting the family, very traditional.
both share responsibility for paid work, - Wife’s role- primary socialisation of children, homemaker.
childcare and domestic chores.
Elizabeth Bott (1957)- coined the idea of joint and segregated
Symmetrical family- the roles of
conjugal roles.
husband and wife are now much more
similar. The March of Progress View sees family life as gradually
Sociologists: improving for all its members.
Parsons
The Symmetrical Family:
Bott
Oakley - The symmetrical family is nuclear.
- It is home-centred and privatised, husband and wife look to
each other for companionship.
- The roles of sexes are similar.
Ann Oakley- Feminist view:
Gender roles are socially constructed.
The march of progress is not working.
15% of men had a high role in housework.
25% of men had a high role in childcare.
Husbands did the more pleasurable tasks.
Summary
Views about what the domestic division of labour should look like vary according to different
sociologists and different approaches. Parsons believed in a more traditional division within a nuclear
family, which Bott labelled as having ‘segregated conjugal roles’. The March of Progress view believes
that conjugal roles are becoming more equal and symmetrical, however, feminists such as Oakley do
not believe that it is really working in women’s favour.
The Domestic Division of Labour
Key Terms: Parsons (1955):
Division of labour- the roles that men
and women play in relation to - Believed that the nuclear family is the superior form of
housework, childcare and paid work. family.
Segregated conjugal roles- very - Heterosexual married couple with not a lot of kids.
traditional, like Parsons’ views. - Husband’s roles- achieving success at work, financially
Joint conjugal roles- husband and wife supporting the family, very traditional.
both share responsibility for paid work, - Wife’s role- primary socialisation of children, homemaker.
childcare and domestic chores.
Elizabeth Bott (1957)- coined the idea of joint and segregated
Symmetrical family- the roles of
conjugal roles.
husband and wife are now much more
similar. The March of Progress View sees family life as gradually
Sociologists: improving for all its members.
Parsons
The Symmetrical Family:
Bott
Oakley - The symmetrical family is nuclear.
- It is home-centred and privatised, husband and wife look to
each other for companionship.
- The roles of sexes are similar.
Ann Oakley- Feminist view:
Gender roles are socially constructed.
The march of progress is not working.
15% of men had a high role in housework.
25% of men had a high role in childcare.
Husbands did the more pleasurable tasks.
Summary
Views about what the domestic division of labour should look like vary according to different
sociologists and different approaches. Parsons believed in a more traditional division within a nuclear
family, which Bott labelled as having ‘segregated conjugal roles’. The March of Progress view believes
that conjugal roles are becoming more equal and symmetrical, however, feminists such as Oakley do
not believe that it is really working in women’s favour.
