Domestic division of labour

• domestic division of labour


  refers to the roles that couples play in relation to:

  1. housework
  2. childcare
  3. paid work
• parsons instrumental and expressive


  husband : instrumental role, wants success at work so he can provide financially, breadwinner.

  wife : primary socialisation of children, meets family's emotional needs, home maker and full time house wife

  > parsons says this division of labour is based on biological differences and there are natural
• criticisms of instrumental and expressive roles

  young and willmott : the say that men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks and wives are becoming wage earners

  feminists : division of labour only benefits men
• bott (1957) joint and segregated conjugal roles


  segregated conjugal roles : couples have separate roles, male breadwinner and female homemaker, separate leisure

  joint conjugal roles : couples share tasks and spend leisure time together
• conjugal roles evaluation


  y & w identified segregated conjugal roles in a study they did of traditional w/c families in east london in 1950s

  separated roles and men spent free time with workmates in pubs and working men clubs whereas wives spent leisure with female kin
• young and willmott (1973) the symmetrical family 


  march of progress view and see the roles as similar, not identical

  younger more affluent couples were more likely symmetrical

  rise in symmetrical nuclear family is because:

  • changes in women's positions
  • geographical mobility
  • new technology
  • higher living standards
• oakley (1974) feminism view of housework


  they reject march of progress view and argue nothing has changed

  her research showed:

  15% participated highly in housework

  20% highly in childcare

  overall men barely contribute and when they do its the easy stuff