Are couples becoming more equal today?

• Give reason FOR on why couples are more equal today?

  - Symmetrrical family

  - New man

  - Sullivan study
• What is the symmetrical family

  Families have become more symmetrical, with joint conjugal roles , both in paid work and help with childcare
• Who talks about the symmetrical family

  Young and Willmott
• What view do Young and Willmott take of the family?

  March of progress view
• What evidence is there to support Young and Willmott amd their view on the symmetrical family?

  Sullivan analysis of nationally representative collected in 1975 , 1987 and 1997 found a trend towards women doing a smaller share of the dome work and men doing more. Her analysis also showed an increase in the number or couples with an equal division of labour and that men were participating more in traditional 'women' tasks
• What are the reasons for the increase in symmetrical families?

  Changes in attitudes to the traditional division of labour: For example the British social attitudes survey (2013) found a fall in the number of people who think it is the mans job to earn money and the women job to look after the home and family. In 1984 45% men agreed with this view in 2012 only 13% of men agreed
• What is the 'new man'?

  In the 1980s the phrase New Man came about to describe men who were caring , helps with housework , childcare and rejects sexist attitudes
• what is evidence supporting the 'New man'

  Man Yee Kan: Younger men do more housework
• Give reasons AGAINST on the view that couples are more equal today

  - Feminist view

  - Dual Burden

  - Triple shift

  - Myth of the 'New man
• What is the feminist view on the equality in the division of domestic labour?

  They argue there is still little sign of the 'new man' who does an equal share of house work and childcare , while women now carry a dual burden.
• What is the dual burden?

  Women are responsible for paid work and unpaid housework
• What is evidence that supports the feminists view

  A survey found that in 2012 men spent 10 hours on care for family members , however women spent 23 hours. Therefore women did twice as much as men and 60% of women felt this division of labour was unjust because they were doing more than their fair share.
• Who talked about the triple shift?

  Duncombe and Marsden
• What is the triple shift?


  Women are responsible for paid work , unpaid housework and also emotion work
• What are the explanations for the gender division of labour?

  Crompton and Lynette identified two different explanations for the u equal division of labour

  - Cultural explanation of inequality

  - Material explanation of inequality
• What is the cultural explanation of inequality?

  In this view , division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values that shape the gender roles in our culture. Women perform more domestic labour simply because that is what society expects them to do and has socialised them to do
• What is the material explanation of inequality?

  In this view , the fact that women generally earn less than men means is it economically rational for women to do more of the housework and childcare while men spend more of their time earning money
• What is evidence supporting the cultural explanation?

  Dunne found that lesbian couples had more symmetrical relationships because of the absence of traditional heterosexual 'gender scripts' , that is , norms that set out the different gender roles and women are expected to play
• What is evidence supporting the material explanation?

  Kan found that for every £10000 a year more a women earns , she does 2 hours less of housework per week