Flashcards Topic 3

• What do conjugal roles refer to?

  Conjugal roles refer to the domestic roles of married or cohabiting partners.
• What are conjugal relationships?

  Conjugal relationships are the relationships between married or cohabiting partners.
• What are the characteristics of conjugal roles in the past and present?


  • Past: Clearly separated roles; men had instrumental roles, women had expressive roles.
  • Present: Roles were unequal and traditional but are now changing.
• How do working-class women's roles differ from middle-class women's roles?


  Working-class women are expressive but also take additional work, while middle-class women often do not need to work and may supervise household employees.
• What does Parsons believe about the roles of men and women?

  Parsons believes men have instrumental roles and women have expressive roles, which he claims are biologically defined.
• Why is Parsons' view considered outdated?

  Parsons' view is considered outdated because it does not represent contemporary family dynamics.
• What are the two types of conjugal roles identified by Elizabeth Bott?

  Segregated roles and joint roles.
• What are the characteristics of segregated and joint conjugal roles according to Elizabeth Bott?

  • Segregated: Clear division of tasks, little time spent together, husbands are instrumental, wives are expressive.
  • Joint: No clear division of labor, shared tasks, spend time together, shared roles.
• What did Willmott and Young propose about family roles in the 1970s?


  Willmott and Young proposed that there is more equality between spouses and that roles are less separated in symmetrical relationships.
• How do symmetrical relationships differ from traditional family roles?

  In symmetrical relationships, husbands and wives carry out opposite tasks but make equal contributions to the home.
• What criticism did Oakley have regarding Willmott and Young's theory?


  Oakley rejected Willmott and Young's theory, finding little evidence of it and stating that traditional roles still exist.
• What did Scott and Clery argue about women's roles in the family?

  Scott and Clery agreed with Oakley and argued that women do a double shift, working and doing housework.
• What did Jan Pahl focus on in her research about family power dynamics?

  Jan Pahl focused on power in marriage by looking at money.
• What did Jan Pahl find regarding decision-making in couples?

  Jan Pahl found that husbands were more likely to be dominant in decision-making.
• Why is Jan Pahl's research considered outdated?

  Jan Pahl's research is considered outdated because it may not represent contemporary family dynamics.
• What is domestic violence defined as?

  • Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, threatening, violence, or abuse.
• How is domestic violence measured in research?

  Domestic violence is measured by official statistics recorded by the Home Office and crime surveys.
• What is a limitation of domestic violence statistics?


  Domestic violence statistics are unreliable because victims often do not report incidents, hiding the dark figures of crime.