Couples and the Domestic Division of Labour

Vocabulary and key concepts from sociology lecture notes regarding the domestic division of labour, gender roles, money management, and domestic violence.

Instrumental role

The role of the 'breadwinner', typically undertaken by men, which involves providing for the family and earning money.

Expressive role

The role of the homemaker, typically undertaken by women, which involves childcare, housework, and meeting the family's needs.

Parsons (Functionalist) about Division of Labour

Argues the division of labour between spouses is rooted in biology, with women naturally suited to the nurturing role and men as providers.

Segregated Conjugal Roles (Elizabeth Bott)

A term by Elizabeth Bott ($1957$) describing roles where husbands and wives have separate instrumental and expressive roles and do not share leisure time.

Joint Conjugal Roles (Elizabeth Bott)

A term by Elizabeth Bott ($1957$) describing roles where couples share tasks such as housework and childcare and spend leisure time together.

The Symmetrical Family (Yound & Willmort)

A concept by Young & Willmott ($1973$) where roles are more equal, women work more, men do more at home, and the couple spends more leisure time together.

What is March of progress view (Young & Willmort)?

A perspective held by Young & Willmott suggesting that family life is gradually becoming more equal and symmetrical over time.

Ann Oakley ($1974$) critisied the MOP view..

A feminist who criticised the 'March of Progress' view, arguing that housework remains sex-typed and that men's help is often minimal or involves only the 'rewarding' aspects of childcare.

The Dual Burden (Ferri & Smith)

A term used by Ferri & Smith ($1996$) to describe the situation where women are responsible for both paid work and housework.

Triple Shift (Duncombe & Marsden)

A concept by Duncombe & Marsden ($1995$) referring to women undertaking three types of work: paid work, housework, and emotional labour.

Gender Scripts (Dunne)

Is the traditional social norms/expectations that set out the different gender roles that men and women are expected to play identified by Dunne ($1999$) as the reason the division of labour continues in straight couples but is absent in lesbian couples

Pooling (Paul & Volger)

A method of money management identified by Pahl & Vogler ($1998$) involving joint responsibility for expenditure.

Allowance system (Paul & Volger)

A money management system identified by Pahl & Vogler ($1998$) where the husband gives the wife a set amount for expenses and keeps the surplus for himself.

Edgell ($1980$) Decision Making

Ranked decision-making into 'Very Important' (financial, taken by husbands), 'Important' (children/holidays, taken jointly), and 'Less Important' (decor/food, taken by wives).

Domestic violence and abuse (Home Office $2013$)

Any incident or pattern of controlling, coercive, or threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged $16$ or over.

Dobash & Dobash (Violence against wives)

Scottish researchers who found that violent incidents against wives could be triggered by what the husband perceived as a challenge to his authority.

Yearn shine ($1997$) Woman’s Report

Found that, on average, a woman will suffer abuse $25$ times before making a report.