Gendered Division of Labour

• Crompton and Lyonette identify two different explanations for the unequal gender division of labour:

  > cultural explanation - the gender division of labour is determined by patriarchal norms and values that shape gender roles in our culture

  > material explanation - women's generally lower earnings mean it is economically rational for women to do more housework and childcare while men spend more of their time earning money
• Cultural Explanation - Gershuny:

  > socialisation - couples whose parents had a more equal relationship were more likely to share housework equally

  > social values are gradually adapting to women working full-time, establishing a new norm for men to do housework - this is lagged adaptation
• Cultural Explanation - British Attitudes Survey:

  > less than 10% of under 35s agreed with a traditional division of labour, compared to 30% of over 65s

  > suggests a cultural march of progress and changes in gender role socialisation, as younger age groups are in favour of more equal relationships
• Cultural Explanations - Dunne:

  > found that lesbian couples are more symmetrical, because deeply ingrained 'gender scripts' (dictate cultural expectations of men and women) do not influence them to maintain inequality

  > heterosexual couples are under pressure to conform to these scripts by performing domestic tasks that conform to gender identities
• Material Explanation - Man Ye Kan:

  > found that for every £10,000 a year more a woman earns, she does two hours less housework per week
• Material Explanation - Arber and Gin:

  > greater equality depends on the social class position that women are in

  > MC women were able to afford full-day childcare when they went out to work, and help with domestic work like time saving devices and domestic help

  > WC women cannot afford these, so are stuck in a vicious cycle of childcare responsibilities and low-paid, part-time work
• Material Explanation - Silver and Schor:

  > housework has become 'commercialised'

  > the goods and services that housewives had to produce are now mass produced and supplied by shops e.g. ready meals and air fryers all reduce the amount of domestic labour to be done - WC women can afford these, so the burden of housework has decreased
• Resources - Unequal:

  > Kempson - family members do not share resources equally

  > in low income families, women would often 'go without' to allow other family members access to resources e.g. skipping meals or rarely going out
• Money Management - Equal:

  > Pahl and Vogler - identified two types of control over family income:

  > allowance system - men give their wives an allowance, out of which they have to budget to meet the family's needs, with the man keeping any extra for himself

  > pooling - both partners have access to income and joint responsibility for spending

  > pooling is on the increase and is now the most common money management system
• Money Management - Unequal:

  > Barrett and McIntosh - men gain far more from women's domestic work than they give back in financial support

  > the financial support they give to their wives can be unpredictable and come with strings attached

  > men usually make important decisions about spending
• Decision Making - Equal:

  > Gershuny - by 1995, 70% of couples said they have an equal say in decisions

  > women who were high-earning, well qualified professionals were more likely to have an equal say
• Decision Making - Unequal - Pahl and Vogler:

  > when the pooled income is controlled by the husband, men usually make the major financial decisions
• Decision Making - Unequal - Hardill:

  > studied 30 dual-earner professional couples

  > important decisions were usually taken by the man alone or joint

  > his career took priority when deciding whether to move house for a job
• Decision Making - Unequal - Edgell:

  > studied professional couples

  > very important decisions (e.g. moving house) were taken by the man alone or joint, but he had final say

  > important decisions (e.g. child's education or holidays) were usually taken jointly

  > less important decisions (e.g. home decor or food) were usually made by the woman