A Level Sociology Family - Power Relationships

• Young and Willmott (1973)


  Used the term 'Symmetrical family' in response to evidence suggesting that male and female roles were becoming similar and equal (egalitarian).
• Gershuny (2008)


  Women often experience a dual burden which is responsibility for both paid and housework.Lagged adaptation is the time delay between women working and men taking more responsibility in the home.
• Feminists


  Argue that women still experience oppression in nuclear families where they are expected to take responsibility for mundane and repetitive tasks which reinforces their lower status in society.Gender scripts refer to ingrained ideas about roles that come form patriarchal, heterosexual relationships
• Gershuny & Robinson (1985)


  Suggest technological has reduced domestic labour (Commercialisation of housework)
• Bittman et al (2004)


  Suggest that domestic appliances do not reduce labour and may even create it
• Beck - Postmodernist


  Family relationships today are shaped by individuality
• Smart and Neale (1999)


  Argues that marriage is a relationship where parenting is shared.They claim divorce allows women to seek out less oppressive relationships although this can be hampered by co-parenting after divorce.Women are having less children which also affects the relationships.
• Carsten (2004)


  Sees a preference for chosen family members rather than biological ones and how this creates us as individuals as a process of rationality.Rationality is a process where biology is less important whilst chosen interactions are crucial.
• Rustin (2000)


  We must look at biographies through pictures, video's and artifacts to understand family life now.
• Dunscombe and Marsden (1995) - Feminist

  Note women feel emotionally deserted as they do all the emotion work within the family.Emotion work - absorbing frustrations, listening to problems, and looking after sick children.This is sometimes known as the triple shift.
• Mirlees-Black

  1 in 4 women have been assaulted by a partner. Ignores child abuse by women and violence against male partners. 1 in 7 men have been attacked.
• Dobash and Dobash - Radical Feminists


  Domestic violence incidents often triggered by a challenge to authority e.g. why are you late to dinner?Marriage legitimises this violence by traditionally putting the power in the hands of men.
• Cheal (1991)


  Police reluctant to investigate & prosecute domestic violence
• Yearnshire (1997)

  Victims unwilling to report
• Barter et al (2009)


  Violence in teenage relationships is on the increase
• Firestone (1970) - Radical Feminists


  Men are the oppressors and exploiters. Family & marriage the main source of the oppression.Violence used to preserve male power. Male dominance within police and courts increases reluctance to deal with issue.
• Robertson Elliot (1996)


  Not all men are aggressive and most are opposed to the use of domestic violence.
• Wilkinson (1996)


  Violence is a result of stress on family membersSupports the notion of 'at risk' groupsExamples: Worries about jobs fray tempers / Lack of money restricts social circle so less support when under stressSocial inequality = Stress
• Barrett and McIntosh (1991)


  Men gain far more from women's domestic input than they give back in financial support.Financial support from men is unpredictable and comes with 'strings' attached.Men usually make the spending decisions.
• Pahl (1980)


  Partial pooling is increasing with both joint and sole accounts. Showing commitment but retaining autonomy.
• Rijt & Buskens (2006)

  An embedded relationship is a relationship which has trust in such matters as money management
• Hardill (1997)


  Found that important decisions were usually taken by the man alone or jointly and that his career took priority.
• Edgell (1980)


  Very important decisions (where to buy a house) made by men or jointly / Important decisions ( where to go on holiday) made jointly / Less important decisions (what children's clothes to buy) made by the wife
• Doucet and Dunne (2000)


  Found that lesbian mothers responded more positively to the challenges of the working mother as they did not feel bound by traditional gender scripts.