Family

• Survey suggests women's tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, are less intrinsically satisfying
• In 2012, women spent an average of 23 hours per week on caring for household members compared to men who spent 10 hours
• 60% of men think childcare provision should be symmetrical
• The feminist view does not explain why women are doing more domestic work
• Gershuny (1994) argued that the increase in women's paid work is resulting in a reduction of their unpaid domestic labour
• Sullivan (2000) found a trend towards more equal sharing of domestic work as men moved into more domestic work and women into paid work
• Braun and Vincent (2009) found that only 3 out of 10 fathers were the main carers in the families they studied
• Younger couples have more equal division of housework, paid work and emotional work compared to older couples
• Arber and Ginn (2000) found that women do more housework for two different reasons: gender norms and values, and women's generally lower earnings
• Oakley argued that the family should be symmetrical
• Evidence suggests that as women earn more, they are more able to buy in commercially produced products and services rather than spending time doing these labour-intensive tasks themselves
• Dunne (1999) found that lesbian couples were much more symmetrical in their relationship because of the absence of heterosexual gender scripts
• Sullivan found that working full-time rather than part-time makes the biggest difference in terms of how much domestic work is done by each person
• Southerton (2001) found that the responsibility of coordinating, scheduling and looking at the tasks involved in managing the family's responsibilities is usually taken on by women rather than men
• Warde and Heather (1993) found that husbands were more likely to have washed the car last than to have done the washing up
• Ving and Wilma (1962) argue that men are now taking a larger share of domestic tasks and that the division of labour is no longer as segregated and the couple's leisure activities tend to be separate
• Oakley's study of traditional working-class families in East London found that women were breadwinners but played little part in home life, spending leisure time with workmates in pubs, while women were full-time housewives with sole responsibility for housework and childcare
• Willmott and Young (1973) argue that there has been a long-term trend away from segregated conjugal roles and a progressive move towards joint conjugal roles and the 'symmetrical family'
• Changes in women's position, such as employment, higher standards of living, and new technology, have contributed to the rise of the symmetrical family
• The ONS (2016) have suggested that a woman will do 25,000-35,000 worth of unpaid labour annually
• Wilkinson and Pickett (2010) see domestic violence as the result of stress on family members caused by social inequality
• Elliot (1990) rejects the radical feminist claim that all men benefit from violence against women
• The ONS (2014) found that certain groups, such as young women, low-income, and those who use alcohol or drugs, are at greater risk of domestic violence
• Feminists argue that domestic violence is the product of patriarchal ideas, cultural values and institutions
• Marxist feminists argue that domestic violence is the product of capitalism
• Walby and Allen (2004) found that women were more likely to be victims of multiple incidents of abuse and of sexual violence
• Yearnshire (1997) found that on average a woman suffers 35 assaults before making a report
• Ansara and Hindin (2011) found that women suffered more severe violence and control, with more serious psychological aspects, and were more likely than men to be fearful of their partners
• Domestic violence is far too widespread to be seen as the behaviour of a few disturbed individuals
• The Women's Aid Federation (2014) found that domestic violence accounts for 1/6 - 1/4 of all recorded violent crime
• Coleman et al (2007) found that women were more likely than men to have experienced intimate violence across all four types of abuse - physical, sexual, financial and emotional
• Where the pooled income is controlled by the husband, this tends to give men more power in major financial decisions
• Pahl and Vogler (1993) identify two main types of control over family income: the allowance system and pooling
• Feminists argue that inequalities in decision-making are not simply the result of inequalities in earnings, but are deeply ingrained through gender role socialisation
• Edgell's (1980) study of professional couples found that very important decisions were either taken by the husband alone or jointly but with the husband having the final say
• The modern western notion of childhood as a special, protected period of nurturing and socialisation before adulthood has gradually emerged since the 19th century
• The International Labour Organisation has estimated there were 168 million child workers globally in 2019
• Childhood is a distinct period of nurturing and socialisation before they are ready for adult responsibilities and stricter control of behaviour
• Childhood


  A clear and distinct life stage that is separate from adulthood
• Childhood is a social construct, not a natural or universal experience