FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLDS’ NAMES
GENDER ROLES, DOMESTIC LABOUR, AND POWER RELATIONSHIPS
Domestic Labour
Bott – two types of conjugal roles
- Segregated conjugal roles – couple has separate roles, male breadwinner, and female
housemaker/carer – leisure activities also tend to be separate
- Joint conjugal roles – couple share tasks such as housework and childcare, spend leisure
time together
Crompton and Lyonette – why is the division of domestic labour unequal?
- Economic – women generally earn less than men = economically rational for women to do
more housework and childcare while men spend more time earning money.
- Cultural – patriarchal norms and values that shape the gender roles in our culture, Men are
the highest paid workers and women perform more domestic labour because that is what
they were socialised into.
Parsons – roles
- Husband has instrumental role, wife has expressive role, these are biological
- The division is equal, and each gender is better suited to the roles
Willmott and Young – symmetrical family
- Family life gradually improving for all members, domestic tasks becoming equally distributed
Gershuny – march of progress view
- Women working full time leading to more equal division of labour
- These women do less domestic labour than other women
Oakley – dual burden
- Only 15% of husbands have high participation in housework, of which are pleasurable tasks
- Women going into paid work does not lea to greater equality, now they carry a dual burden,
having to work and care for child fulltime
Duncombe and Marsden – triple shift
- Paid work
- Domestic work
- Emotional work
Finances
Barret and Mcintosh – on finance
- Men gain far more from women’s domestic work than they give back in financial support
- Financial support that husbands give to their wives is often unpredictable and comes with
strings attached
- Men usually make the decisions about spending on most important items
Pahl and Vogler – supports
- Allowance system – women given allowance; man retains surplus
- Pooling – both partners have access and responsibility however income controlled by
husband, granting him more power over financial decisions.
,Hardill – supports
- Important decisions usually taken by man alone + career took priority in dual career couples
Finch – supports
- Woman’s lives centred around husband’s career
Edgell – supports
- Very important financial decisions taken by husband alone or jointly, but husband has final
say.
evaluation
Smart – homosexual
- Gay men/ lesbians attached no importance to who controlled money / didn’t see control of
money as sign of inequality
Weeks et.al – sharing
- Co-independence- typical pattern of pooling for household spending with separate accounts
for personal usage
Domestic Abuse
Women’s aid federation – widespread
- Domestic violence accounts for between 1/6 and ¼ of all recorded violent crime
Crime survey for England and Wales 2013- widespread
- 2 million people reported having been domestic violence victims in the past year
- Narrow gender gap. 7.3% of women and 5% of men in previous year
Dobash and Dobash - more likely to be women
- Police and court records violent incidents set off by what husband sees as a challenge to
authority
- Marriage legitimates violence against women
Walby and Allen – agreed
- Women more likely victims of multiple incidents of abuse and sexual violence
Ansara and Hindin – women
- Women suffered more serious acts of violence and control and more psychological effects
Hopkins – 2000s
- Around 570,000 cases of DV per year reported
- Far larger number unreported
Yearnshire – reporting
- Women suffer 33 assaults before reporting
Cheal – recording
- Reluctance due to police and other state agencies not prepared to become involved in family
Dar- agree
- Domestic victims are less likely than other victims to report – not a matter for police – too
trivial
Wilkinson and Pickett – economic explanation
- Domestic violence result of stress on family members caused by social inequality
, - Worries about money may spill over into violence
- Lack of money and time reduces support for those under stress
Radical feminists – cultural explanation
- Patriarchal society included by family and marriage, main cause of oppression
- Widespread domestic violence, inevitable in patriarchy and serves to protect power
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE FAMILY TO THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE (THEORIES)
Functionalist
Murdock – family is a universal institution with universal functions
Sexual function - Economic function –
stable satisfaction of sex drive with same meeting its members economic needs such as
partner, preventing social disruption caused by food or shelter. Not all members can provide
sexual ‘free for fall'= avoided conflict. Most for themselves (children). Benefits economy as
societies, there are rules forbidding sex outside consumerism is high.
of marriage = stabilises social system
Reproductive function – Educational function -
reproduction of next generation without which Socialisation of the young into societies’ norms
society could not continue. New members of and values to create harmony in society and
society are born, future of society. Married cooperation.
couples more likely, worker of the future Value consensus = less conflict
Without socialisation, there would be no
culture
Parsons- industrial society has 2 needs which a nuclear family fulfils
- Geographically mobile workforce, industries spring up and require people to move where
jobs are. Easier for people to move in 2 gen houses than 3
- Socially mobile workforce – constantly upgrading tech and science, essential that talented
people can earn promotions. Nuclear family encourages offspring to move out once adult,
helps avoid conflict between father + son who may be in competitive jobs.
Primary socialisation Stabilisation of adult personalities
Teaching norms and values of society to Family is a place where adults relax and release
children. tensions
Benefits individual by granting better Allows for adult childish whims to be explored,
opportunities if they conform to expectations = benefitting the individual. Less stress and more
avoided conflict. pleasant home environment.
Benefits wider society by creating value Benefits wider society as it creates a more
consensus= allowing for all individuals to efficient economy as its workers have time to
cohabit harmoniously and cooperate = focus on wellbeing.
harmonious living.
1) Internalisation of societies’ culture Unstable personalities are a threat to social
2) Structuring of personality -> stability.
independence and achievement Important in western industrialised culture as
motivation (US societies’ views) family is separated from kin
Families are factories which produce
personalities
Marxist
Engels – the origin of the family, private property and the state
Evolution of the family
GENDER ROLES, DOMESTIC LABOUR, AND POWER RELATIONSHIPS
Domestic Labour
Bott – two types of conjugal roles
- Segregated conjugal roles – couple has separate roles, male breadwinner, and female
housemaker/carer – leisure activities also tend to be separate
- Joint conjugal roles – couple share tasks such as housework and childcare, spend leisure
time together
Crompton and Lyonette – why is the division of domestic labour unequal?
- Economic – women generally earn less than men = economically rational for women to do
more housework and childcare while men spend more time earning money.
- Cultural – patriarchal norms and values that shape the gender roles in our culture, Men are
the highest paid workers and women perform more domestic labour because that is what
they were socialised into.
Parsons – roles
- Husband has instrumental role, wife has expressive role, these are biological
- The division is equal, and each gender is better suited to the roles
Willmott and Young – symmetrical family
- Family life gradually improving for all members, domestic tasks becoming equally distributed
Gershuny – march of progress view
- Women working full time leading to more equal division of labour
- These women do less domestic labour than other women
Oakley – dual burden
- Only 15% of husbands have high participation in housework, of which are pleasurable tasks
- Women going into paid work does not lea to greater equality, now they carry a dual burden,
having to work and care for child fulltime
Duncombe and Marsden – triple shift
- Paid work
- Domestic work
- Emotional work
Finances
Barret and Mcintosh – on finance
- Men gain far more from women’s domestic work than they give back in financial support
- Financial support that husbands give to their wives is often unpredictable and comes with
strings attached
- Men usually make the decisions about spending on most important items
Pahl and Vogler – supports
- Allowance system – women given allowance; man retains surplus
- Pooling – both partners have access and responsibility however income controlled by
husband, granting him more power over financial decisions.
,Hardill – supports
- Important decisions usually taken by man alone + career took priority in dual career couples
Finch – supports
- Woman’s lives centred around husband’s career
Edgell – supports
- Very important financial decisions taken by husband alone or jointly, but husband has final
say.
evaluation
Smart – homosexual
- Gay men/ lesbians attached no importance to who controlled money / didn’t see control of
money as sign of inequality
Weeks et.al – sharing
- Co-independence- typical pattern of pooling for household spending with separate accounts
for personal usage
Domestic Abuse
Women’s aid federation – widespread
- Domestic violence accounts for between 1/6 and ¼ of all recorded violent crime
Crime survey for England and Wales 2013- widespread
- 2 million people reported having been domestic violence victims in the past year
- Narrow gender gap. 7.3% of women and 5% of men in previous year
Dobash and Dobash - more likely to be women
- Police and court records violent incidents set off by what husband sees as a challenge to
authority
- Marriage legitimates violence against women
Walby and Allen – agreed
- Women more likely victims of multiple incidents of abuse and sexual violence
Ansara and Hindin – women
- Women suffered more serious acts of violence and control and more psychological effects
Hopkins – 2000s
- Around 570,000 cases of DV per year reported
- Far larger number unreported
Yearnshire – reporting
- Women suffer 33 assaults before reporting
Cheal – recording
- Reluctance due to police and other state agencies not prepared to become involved in family
Dar- agree
- Domestic victims are less likely than other victims to report – not a matter for police – too
trivial
Wilkinson and Pickett – economic explanation
- Domestic violence result of stress on family members caused by social inequality
, - Worries about money may spill over into violence
- Lack of money and time reduces support for those under stress
Radical feminists – cultural explanation
- Patriarchal society included by family and marriage, main cause of oppression
- Widespread domestic violence, inevitable in patriarchy and serves to protect power
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE FAMILY TO THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE (THEORIES)
Functionalist
Murdock – family is a universal institution with universal functions
Sexual function - Economic function –
stable satisfaction of sex drive with same meeting its members economic needs such as
partner, preventing social disruption caused by food or shelter. Not all members can provide
sexual ‘free for fall'= avoided conflict. Most for themselves (children). Benefits economy as
societies, there are rules forbidding sex outside consumerism is high.
of marriage = stabilises social system
Reproductive function – Educational function -
reproduction of next generation without which Socialisation of the young into societies’ norms
society could not continue. New members of and values to create harmony in society and
society are born, future of society. Married cooperation.
couples more likely, worker of the future Value consensus = less conflict
Without socialisation, there would be no
culture
Parsons- industrial society has 2 needs which a nuclear family fulfils
- Geographically mobile workforce, industries spring up and require people to move where
jobs are. Easier for people to move in 2 gen houses than 3
- Socially mobile workforce – constantly upgrading tech and science, essential that talented
people can earn promotions. Nuclear family encourages offspring to move out once adult,
helps avoid conflict between father + son who may be in competitive jobs.
Primary socialisation Stabilisation of adult personalities
Teaching norms and values of society to Family is a place where adults relax and release
children. tensions
Benefits individual by granting better Allows for adult childish whims to be explored,
opportunities if they conform to expectations = benefitting the individual. Less stress and more
avoided conflict. pleasant home environment.
Benefits wider society by creating value Benefits wider society as it creates a more
consensus= allowing for all individuals to efficient economy as its workers have time to
cohabit harmoniously and cooperate = focus on wellbeing.
harmonious living.
1) Internalisation of societies’ culture Unstable personalities are a threat to social
2) Structuring of personality -> stability.
independence and achievement Important in western industrialised culture as
motivation (US societies’ views) family is separated from kin
Families are factories which produce
personalities
Marxist
Engels – the origin of the family, private property and the state
Evolution of the family
