In-depth

• What does the domestic division of labour refer to?

  Roles in housework, childcare, and paid work
• What are the two roles defined by Parsons in the traditional nuclear family?

  Instrumental and expressive roles
• What is the husband's role in Parsons' model?

  Instrumental role as the breadwinner
• What is the wife's role in Parsons' model?

  Expressive role as the homemaker
• What does Parsons argue about the division of labour?

  It is based on biological differences
• What do Willmott and Young argue about domestic tasks?

  Men are taking a greater share of tasks
• What are the two types of conjugal roles identified by Bott?

  • Segregated conjugal roles: separate roles for men and women
  • Joint conjugal roles: shared tasks and leisure time
• What characterizes segregated conjugal roles?

  Separate roles with distinct leisure activities
• What characterizes joint conjugal roles?

  Shared tasks and leisure time together
• What is the 'symmetrical family' according to Willmott and Young?

  Similar roles for husbands and wives
• What factors contribute to the rise of the symmetrical family?

  Changes in women's position and technology
• What did Warde and Hetherington find about sex-typing of domestic tasks?

  It remained strong in their study
• What is the feminist view on housework?

  Little has changed; women do most work
• What do feminists argue about the family structure?

  It is male-dominated or patriarchal
• What did the British Social Attitudes survey reveal in 2012?

  Women did 13 hours of housework weekly
• What is the 'dual burden' as per feminist views?

  Women handle paid work and domestic work
• What does Boulton argue about childcare responsibilities?

  Mothers take primary responsibility for children
• What did Ferri and Smith find about fathers' childcare responsibilities?

  Fathers took responsibility in fewer than 4% of families
• What is 'emotion work' as described by feminists?

  Managing emotions of family members
• What is the 'triple shift' that women perform?

  Housework, paid work, and emotion work
• What are the two explanations for the unequal division of labour according to Crompton and Lyonette?

  1. Cultural or ideological explanation
  2. Material or economic explanation
• What does the cultural explanation of inequality suggest?

  Patriarchal norms shape gender roles
• What evidence supports the cultural explanation?

  Couples with equal parents share housework
• What does the material explanation of inequality suggest?

  Women's lower earnings lead to more housework
• What did Kan find about women's earnings and housework?

  More earnings lead to less housework
• What do many feminists argue about women's roles?

  Women shoulder a dual or triple burden
• What do Barrett and McIntosh note about men's financial support?

  Men gain more from women's domestic work
• What are the two main types of control over family income?

  Allowance system and pooling
• What is the allowance system in money management?

  Men give wives an allowance for budgeting
• What is pooling in money management?

  Both partners have access to income
• What does Edgell's study reveal about decision-making?

  Husbands control major financial decisions
• What type of decisions did Edgell study?

  Very important financial decisions
• What should be prioritized in spending for children?

  Essentials for the children
• How can resources be shared in households with adequate incomes?

  Unequally, leaving women in poverty
• What are the two main types of control over family income?

  • The allowance system
  • Pooling
• What is pooling in money management?

  Both partners have access to joint income
• Which money management system is now the most common?

  Pooling
• What does pooling indicate about decision-making in couples?

  It suggests more equality in decision-making
• How does pooled income controlled by the husband affect decision-making?

  It gives men more power in financial decisions
• What did Edgell's (1980) study find about decision-making in professional couples?

  • Very important decisions: husband alone or joint with husband having final say
  • Important decisions: usually taken jointly
  • Less important decisions: usually made by the wife