Domestic duties and families

• The domestic Division of Labour

  Bott (1957)

  • studied twenty working class families in 1950s London to examine the nature of roles and relationships with families
  • Identified two conjugal roles within marriage: segregated conjugal roles, joint conjugal roles.
  • Conjugal roles refer to the domestic and household responsibilities of cohabiting partners
• Bott (1957)SEGREGATED CONJUGAL ROLES

  • a clear sexual division of labour
  • A male breadwinner, and a female homemaker
  • Men and women also spend their leisure time separately.
  • families are male-dominated.
• Bott(1957) JOINT CONJUGAL ROLES

  • domestic responsibilities are shared relatively equally; no clear sexual division of labour.
  • A husband and wife spend leisure time together
• young and Willmott(1973)

  • Agree with Bott about her segregated and joint conjugal roles in their study of working class extended families in east London in the 1950s.
  • Take a 'march of progress' view on the family.
  • family life has gradually improved for all members; they have become more democratic and equal.
  • there has been a shift towards joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family.
• young and willmott

  • A symmetrical family is one in which the roles of men and women are similar; but not identical.
  • Women now work, either full or part time.
  • men now complete domestic duties and childcare.
  • couples spend leisure time together
• four stages of family development in relation to industrialisation.(young and Willmott)

  1. stage one: pre- industrial families
  2. stage two: early industrial families
  3. stage three: symmetrical families
  4. stage four: asymmetrical families
• stage one: pre-industrial families

  • family as a unit of production
  • no separation of work/home.
  • families live close to or with each other.
• stage two: early industrial families

  • men go to work; women stay home.
  • families moved to cities and towns.
  • kinship remained important despite the breakup of extended families.
  • leisure time spent separately.
• stage three: symmetrical families

  • both men and women in paid employment.
  • joint conjugal roles.
  • the family as a unit of consumption
  • Families more isolated from kinship networks.
• stage four: asymmetrical families

  • A return to segregated conjugal roles.
  • Men and Women spend leisure time separately.
  • Social class and stratified diffusion
• Young and Willmott

  • they saw evidence that affluent families were becoming increasingly asymmetrical.
  • childcare- nannies and childminders
  • cooking and cleaning- domestic help
  • cultural changes within the family begin in families with higher social status, and these behaviours and diffused the social strata to those with lower social status, where they become the norm
  • " stratified diffusion"
• The new man

  "rejects sexist attitudes and the traditional male role. in the context of domestic responsibilities and childcare, and who is caring, sensitive, and non-aggressive"

  • in the same way women have seen a change in their role and identities through the changing nature of families, men have also seen a change.
• CROMPTON(2008)

  Places explanations for the gender division of labour in two categories:

  1. Cultural and ideological explanation
  2. Material and economic explanation
• cultural and ideological explanation

  • patriarchal norms shape gender roles.
  • Society's expectations of men and women.
• Material and economic explanation

  • women earn less than men; it makes more sense for men to work if they earn more.
  • Gender pay gap; part-time employment and the link to childcare.
• OAKLEY(1974)

  • Examined the role of the family with a focus on 'the conventional family'
  • 'the cereal packet image of the family'
  • Analysed why this social norm is perceived as the 'normal' type of family and how this affected society and individuals.
• OAKLEY(1974)

  • The conventional family is increasingly seen as an 'archaic stereotype' and other living arrangements were becoming increasingly more popular.
  • This stereotype of the 'conventional family' is still widely seen as the norm.
  • criticises young and Willmott's view that the family is now symmetrical
  • Families are not symmetrical because women now have a 'dual burden'.
• WHAT IS A 'DUAL BURDEN'?

  "when a person is responsible for two jobs; usually applied to women who are in paid work, but who are also responsible for domestic labour."

  Feminists argue women entering paid employment has given them a dual burden because they are still largely responsible for domestic tasks.
• OAKLEY(1974)

  • Young and Willmott found men 'helped' their wives at least once a week.
  • Oakley argues this is not symmetrical! Jointly does not mean equally!
  • In her own research, Oakley found some evidence men were helping with domestic tasks, but no evidence of symmetry. Men's contributions are exaggerated.
• OAKLEY(1974)

  • 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework.
  • 25% of husbands had a high level of participation in childcare.
  • Couples responded that men were more likely to take an interest in childcare than housework, but only the more pleasurable aspects.
  • A 'good father' plays with the children and 'takes them off her hands'.
  • women lose out on the rewards of childcare and only had more free time for housework.
• Boulton(1983)

  • Fewer than 20% of husbands had a 'major role' in childcare.
  • Her findings support Oakley's findings that men's contributions to domestic tasks is exaggerated.
  • Although men may take some responsibility for tasks, it is women who take primary responsibility for the children.
  • Women are almost always responsible for children's well being, safety and security.
• Warde and Hetherington(1993)

  • sex-typing of domestic tasks still occurs.
  • Wives were thirty times more likely to have been the last person to wash up
  • Husbands were four times more likely to have been the last person to wash the car
  • Men would carry out 'female duties' but only when their wife was not around to do them for him.
  • Younger men had a change in attitude, and believed women were not responsible for housework
  • Younger men were more likely to think they do their 'fair share'.
• Gershuny(1994)

  • women working full time leads to a more equal division of labour in the home.
  • Women in full time employment do less housework than women who are not.
  • The longer the wife had been in employment the more housework the husband was likely to do.
• Silver(1987)and Schor(1993)

  • The commercialisation of housework has led to less of a burden on women.
  • technology has eased domestic life.
  • more women in paid work means they can afford more technologies which eases their domestic lives.
  • As housework is easier men are more likely to be involved- symmetrical family
  • "the housewife is dead"
• Arber and Ginn(1995)

  • Middle class women are able to afford labour saving devices, domestic help and other commercially produced goods.
  • Working class women are not
  • -" is the dual burden a working class problem?"
• Duncombe and Marsden(1995)

  • Any measure of 'equality' must account for 'emotion work'
  • Even if the domestic division of labour is shared evenly, which it isn't, women don't have a dual burden, they have 'triple shift' because they do 'emotion work'.

  - providing love and emotional support to the family

  - Organising family social events.

  -Recognizing and celebrating achievements.
• Duncombe and Marsden(1995)

  • Interviewed 40 couples; women felt men lacked 'emotional participation'
  • Men found it difficult to express their gratitude to women and emotionally relate to their children.

  - This leads to a gendered division of

  labour where women are entirely

  responsible for emotion work, and

  domestic work, and must undertake

  paid employment- the triple shift.

  - This also leads to women's needs

  being neglected, and negative

  consequences for their physical

  and mental health.
• Who conducted research on the distribution of power and decision-making in families?

  Edgell
• What are the three categories of decisions identified by Edgell?

  Very important, Important, Less important
• According to Edgell, who makes the most important decisions in families?

  Men make the most important decisions
• According to Edgell, who makes the least important decisions in families?

  Women make the least important decisions
• Who provided explanations for the gender division of labour?

  Edgell (1980)
• What types of decisions are considered very important in the context of gender division of labour?

  Economic and financial decisions, such as moving house, buying a car, and changing jobs
• How are very important decisions typically made in a household according to Edgell (1980)?


  They are made by the husband alone or jointly, with the husband having the final say
• What is the connection between a husband's power and his earning power?

  A husband's power is directly connected to his superior earning power
• Who provided explanations for the gender division of labour?

  Edgell (1980)
• What are the important decisions made in a family context according to Edgell?

  • Quality of life and children's lives
  • Choosing schools for children
  • Selecting holiday destinations
• How are important decisions typically made in a family?

  They are made jointly and rarely by the wife alone due to financial investment.
• What are the less important decisions in family life?

  • Everyday decisions about family life
  • Shopping
  • Purchasing domestic items such as clothing and decorating
• Who typically makes less important decisions in a family?

  The wife