domestic division of labour

Parsons instrumental and expressive roles

• in the nuclear family the roles of husbands and wife’s are segregated

• Parsons argues the husband has the instrumental role = geared towards achieving success at work, providing for the family financially. He is the breadwinner

• The wife has the expressive role = geared towards primary socialisation and meeting the families emotional needs. She is the homemaker, house wife.

• Due to biological differences women are more naturally suited to the nurturing role and men are naturally suited to providing.

• Clear division avoids conflict and helps family function well.

Criticisms of parsons

• feminists reject parsons view that division of labour is natural - they argue it only benefits men

• Young and willmott argue that men are now taking greater share in domestic tasks and more wives are becoming wage earners

Joint and separate conjugal roles

• Bott distinguishes 2 types of conjugal roles

• Segregated conjugal roles = where the couple have separate roles, men are breadwinner and female housewife. Leisure activities tend to be separate as well

• Joint conjugal roles = where the couple share tasks such as housework and childcare and spend leisure time together.

• Young & willmott 1950’s findings = identified a pattern of segregated conjugal roles in their study of traditional w/c extended families in Bethnal Green.

• Found that men were breadwinners - played a little part in home life, spent leisure time in pubs and clubs

• Women were full time housewife’s who looked after the family and housework

The symmetrical family

• young and willmott take a march of progress view of the history of the family - see the family as gradually improving becoming more equal

• They argue families have become more symmetrical

• Women now go to wrk even though it may be par time rather than full time

• Men now help in housework and childcare

• Couples now spend leisure time together

These changes have led to :

• changes in the position of women = rise in feminism led to changes in laws and attitudes towards women working. This means women are now financially independent and rely less on their husband.

• Geographical mobility = increase in couples living awsy from communities in which they grew up in. This means that the spouse have more responsibilities to take on so more Likely to share roles equally.

• New technology = introduction to new technology and labour saving device e.g washing machine. This meant decrease in time spent on housework.

Feminist view on housework

• feminist sociologists reject this march of progress view as men and women remain unequal and women still take on more responsibility.

• Oakley argues that young and willmott exaggerate their view.

• Oakley found evidence of husbands helping in the home but no evidence of trends in symmetry.

• Only 15% of husbands have a high level of participation in housework and only 25% participated in childcare. Men more likely to help with childcare because it’s more pleasurable

• Bolton found that fewer than 20% of husbands had a major role in childcare.

• Argue young and willmott exaggerate their view because they look at childcare rather than overall responsibility which is always the mother who is responsible for the child’s security and well being.