couples becoming equal

• There are three areas where couples are seen to be more equal:

  1. Impact of paid work
  2. Responsibility of children
  3. Responsibility of quality time
• The march of progress view believes:

  • Both parents being in paid work means that there needs to be a more equal division of labour
  • There was a 'new man' responsibility
  • Women working means there is a more equal division of labour
  • Men are becoming interested in housework
• Gershuny (1994) = March of progress view on gender roles

  • The longer women have been in employment, the more housework the husband takes on
• The feminist view believes:

  • Women are still unequal in the home and do the majorite of the housework
  • Women working has not led to greater equality
• Ann Oakley = Feminist view

  • Experience the dual burden
  • Housework and childcare are still the primary job of women even though they are in paid work
  • Criticizes Young and Wilmott saying that being a housewife is constructed in society as femininity
• Allan (1985) =

  • Argues tasks are less satisfying than mens chores are
  • eg. cleaning and washing
• Pahl (1984) =

  • Conducted a survey of over 750 couples and found that unemployed men did more housework than employed however employed women are still doing the bulk of the housework
• A triple shift is the idea that women perform:

  • House work
  • Paid work
  • Emotional work
• A dual burden is:

  • Women have the stress of working in paid employment and then come home to the stress of housework.
• Boulton (1983) = Responsibility of children

  • Fathers are performing specific childcare tasks however mothers oversee the wellbeing and security of the children
• Ferri and Smith (1996) = Responsibility of children

  • Fathers take responsibility for childcare in less than 4% of families
• Dex and Ward (2007) = Responsibility of children

  • 78% of fathers would play with their child ( three years old )
  • Only 1% would take care of their sick child (emotional work )
• Braun, Vincent and Ball (2011) = Responsibility of children

  • Did a study of 70 families and only 3 have the father as the main carer.
  • Most were ' background fathers ' as they helped with childcare to have a better relationship with their partners
  • Mothers saw themselves as a primary caregiver as media tells them to be good mothers
  • Fathers aren't socially influenced in the media.
• Southerton (2011) = Responsibility of quality time

  • Men usually had blocks of free leisure time whereas women's leisure time is interrupted by children which supports the dual burden.
• Dunnes = Study of lesbian couples and gender scripts

  • Gender scripts do not operate in lesbian couples to the same extent
  • Traditional gender roles do not exist
  • There is equal importance in careers
  • Unequal pay gap makes house work unequal
• There are two explanations for the gender division of labour

  • Cultural
  • Material
• The cultural explanation of division of labour means it is determined by patriarchal norms and values in our cultures. They are socialized into this norm from a young age.
• The material explanation of division of labour means women earn less money than one so it is more economically beneficial for them to do childcare and housework as the man is the breadwinner
• Examples of the man bringing in more money ( material explanation )

  • Women take more time off for caring for sick children
  • Maternity leave
• Evidence of the cultural explanation:

  • Less than 10% of under 35's agreed with the traditional division of labour which shows long term attitude change
  • Man Yee Kan (2001) found younger men do more domestic work so there is a generational shift
  • Weeks (1999) and Smart (2007) argue same sex relationships offer greater possibility of equality
• Evidence for material explanation:

  • Arber and Ginn (1995) better paid middle class women were more likely to buy labour saving devices and domestic help
  • Ramos (2003) the men do just as much when women are full time breadwinner
  • Sullivan found that working full time instead of part time makes the biggest difference in domestic work.