Power and Decision-Making in Families

What do Barrett & McIntosh (1991) argue about inequalities in households?

• men receive more from women’s unpaid work than they give back financially

• men’s financial support is often irregular and conditional

• men usually control major spending, money, and resources - they are not shared equally

What money management patterns did Pahl & Vogler (1993) identify?

• allowance system where men give set a budget and keep control of income

• pooling system where couples share income and make joint decisions

What does the personal life perspective (PLP) focus on regarding money?

• the meanings couples attach to money management

• not assuming financial control always means power imbalance

According to Nyman (2003), what influences the significance of money?

how couples interpret who controls it

What did Vogler et al. (2006) find about cohabiting couples and money?

• less likely to pool income

• value financial independence

What did Weeks et al. (2001) find about money management?

many couples pool money for shared bills, but keep separate accounts for personal spending

How does Women’s Aid define domestic abuse?

a pattern of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading, and violent behaviour by a partner or carer

Who are the main perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse according to recent data?

• men are mainly perpetrators

• women are more likely to be victims

What did Dobash & Dobash (1979) find about causes of domestic violence?

often arises when men feel their authority challenged

What did Ansara & Hindin (2011) note about fear of partners?

women are more likely to fear their partners

What are issues with official statistics on domestic violence?

• underreporting due to fear, seeing it as trivial

• police viewing family as private

What is the radical feminist explanation of domestic violence?

• rooted in patriarchy

• men use violence to control women

• family and marriage are key in women’s oppression

What is a criticism of the radical feminist explanation of domestic violence?

• not all men are violent

• women can be the perpetrator

• risk varies with age, disability, and income

What does the materialist explanation of domestic violence emphasise?

social inequalities and financial stress can trigger conflict and abuse

What does the materialist approach explain well, and what does it fail to explain?

• helps explain class differences

• fails to explain why women are mainly victims

How do Marxist feminists explain domestic violence?

• stems from capitalist exploitation

• male frustration from work taken out on women

What are limitations of the Marxist feminist explanation of domestic violence?

• fails to explain why not all men are violent

• fails to explain cases of female perpetrators