Gender roles and relationships

Gender roles

This is how couples split up housework and childcare.

Gender relationships

Who exercises power- decision making, money management and domestic violence.

Expressive role

One person does the housework and childcare- usually associated with women

Instrumental role

This is the idea that one person (traditionally men) are breadwinners.

Symmetrical family

Men and women share domestic tasks and spend their leisure time together.

Sex typing of tasks

Housework tasks are stereotypically assigned. Men do 'masculine' tasks such as DIY and women do 'feminine' tasks such as cleaning.

The March of Progress view- conjugal roles are becoming more equal

Young and Wilmott- functionalists:

Researched Bethnal Green- structured interviews with about 1,000 participants.

There was a march of progress towards joint conjugal roles as men began to spend more of their leisure time at home and shared housework and childcare. They called these families symmetrical families. This does not mean that conjugal roles are becoming the same or equal but that they are becoming more similar in that more women work and men take on domestic tasks.

Oakley- criticised Young and Wimott's research:

She criticised Young and Wilmott's research. Their 113 question survey only asked questions about housework. This question asked wives if their husbands helped once a week with household jobs. 'Helping' with one out of the many household chores that need to be done is not really evidence of symmetry.

What was Oakley's research?

Oakley's own qualitative research via unstructured interviews showed few husbands had a high level of participation in housework.

What are the two explanations for gender differences in domestic labour?

Cultural and material explanations

What is the cultural explanation?

The cultural/ideological explanations focus on how patriarchal norms and values shape gender roles. Inequality/equality reflect attitudes.

What is the material explanation?

The material/economic explanation focus on women's incomes being lower than men's. This implies that the family adapts by men going out to work full time, with women completing part-time work and household/childcare tasks.

What was Dunne's research on lesbian couples?

She researched 37 lesbian couples and found that they did equal amounts of housework because they do not need to conform to gender scripts. The lesbian couples researched viewed childcare positively, Weeks and Smart argue that same-sex relationships offer greater equality- they are not confined to patriarchal expectations.

Dunne's research supports the cultural explanation as the lack of patriarchal norms do not influence same-sex couples.

What does the term gender scripts mean?

To conform to deeply ingrained masculine or feminine 'gender scripts' by performing different kinds of domestic tasks that confirm their gender identities.

The personal life perspective on money management

Challenges the feminist view somewhat as feminists have seen inequalities in finances and decision making as a sign of patriarchy.

Money reflects the couples relationship. E.g. in an abusive relationship, the abuser may stop their partner from having money. In a different couple one partner may control money or make major decisions because this works best for the relationship.

Controlling behaviour

Acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and depriving them of the means needed for independence.

Coercive behaviour

Assaults, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse used to harm, punish or frighten.