BETTER Families and Households

Joint and Segregated Roles

Bott

Bott

Separate and shared responsibilities (housework, childcare, leisure)

Feminism and Housework

Oakley

Oakley

15% of men do the majority of housework, 25% of men do the majority of childcare

Symmetrical Families

Wilmott and Young

Wilmott and Young

March of progress due to: geographical mobility, labour-saving devices, higher standards of living

More Symmetry

Gershunny

Gershunny

Increase in egalitarian couples over 20 years

Dual Burden

Ferri and Smith

Ferri and Smith

Sample of 1589: 4% of men have main responsibility of childcare

Triple Shift

Duncombe

Duncombe

Paid, domestic and emotional labour

Commercialisation of Housework

Silver

Silver

Labour-saving devices: women can work to afford this, but have little impact

Emasculated Unemployed Men

Morris

Morris

Masculinity was already threatened: did not compensate with extra housework

Lesbian Couples

Dunne

Dunne

37 cohabiting lesbian couples: housework and childcare is equal (no pressure to conform to gender scripts)

60% more

ONS

ONS

Women carry out 60% more domestic labour: 2x effort into cooking, childcare, housework

Importance of Decisions

Edgell

Edgell

38 M/C couples: women make more and less important decisions (e.g. interior design)

Priority of Decisions

Hardill

Hardill

Important decisions are made by men/jointly: men are prioritised, women are socialised to be passive, masculinity is threatened otherwise

Financial Control

Pahl

Pahl

102 couples: less husband-controlled pooling due to financial independence: but not when women work part-time

Domestic Violence Statistics

Mirrless-Black

Mirrless-Black

16,000 responses: 99% committed by men, 2 women die each week

Patriarchy and Domestic Violence

Dobash and Dobash

Dobash and Dobash

Police+court reports: violence, murder, rape due to challenges to male authority (marriage legitimises violence)

Stress and Domestic Violence

Wilkinson

Wilkinson

Overcrowded housing and financial struggle: stress causes domestic conflict

Welfare state and SPF

Murray

Murray

Social policies undermine nuclear families: encourage dependency culture

Social Policy and Patriarchy

Land

Land

Social policies reinforce gender roles and patriarchal nuclear family

Social Policy and Control

Donzelot

Donzelot

State uses policies to control society: rejects March of Progress

Surveillance

Foucault

Foucault

Surveillance+professional knowledge control the family: health visitors, social workers, doctors

Cohabitation and Testing the Water

Coast

Coast

75% of cohabiting couples expect to marry in the future: transitioning period

Divorce and Dual Burden

Sigle-Rushton

Sigle-Rushton

Men not doing housework causes higher divorce rates: dual burden leaves women no time to resolve problems

NYC Singletons

Klinenburg

Klinenburg

300 interviews: positive views on living alone ("mark of distinction"); 3/10 households, 44% over 65

Black Caribbean Families

Bethound et al

Bethound et al: Black Caribbean

2001: 48% were SPF, mothers supported by extended kinship networks, "mother households"

Asian Families

Bethound et al

Bethound et al: Asian

Pakistani and Bangladeshi: traditional nuclear, 33% extended, have children younger, respect elderly due to poverty rates

Lifecourse

Sommerville

Sommerville

Changes in diversity are based on a snapshot: people spend most time in a nuclear family, postmodernity affects lifecourse

Neo-conventional Family

Chester

Chester

Diversity is an illusion: women go to work and exprience symmetry

Four Functions

Murdock

Murdock

250 societies, variations of nuclear family: stable sexual satisfaction, reproduction, socialisation, economic needs

Families are not Universal

Gough

Gough

Nayar Tribe: Southern Indian girls are ritually married prior to puberty - no contact, only mourn death of husband

Industrialisation

Parsons

Parsons: Industrialisation

Pre: extended family, production, caring for sick, old, young.

Post: nuclear, production, socialisation, structural differentiation, welfare state

Stablisation of Adult Personalities

Parsons

Parsons: Stablisation of Adult Personalities

Women: expressive, men: instrumental; family stablises the breadwinner

Parish Records

Laslett

Laslett

Pre-industrialisation: 10% of families include extended kin

SPF

Murray

Murray: SPF

Inadequate socialisation

Rise of the Underclass

Murray

Murray: Rise of the Underclass

Long-term unemployed, welfare dependents, single mothers

Perverse Incentives

Murray

Murray: Perverse Incentives

Overdependence on the welfare state: encourages irresponsible and antisocial behaviour

Inheritance of Property

Engels

Engels

Promiscuous tribes -> private property: ensure legitimate monogamous relationships

Ideological State Apparatus

Althusser

Althusser

Acceptance of hierarchy: shelter from harsh realities of Capitalism

Alienation

Zaretsky

Zaretsky: Alienation

Women offer physical and emotional support: shelter from Capitalism

Industrialisation

Zaretsky

Zaretsky: Industrialisation

Proletariat spend wages on own products: keeping up with Jones', pester power

Radical Feminism

Greer

Greer

Single mothers are scapegoats in society: sacrifice careers, domestic violence, exclusion from decisions

Takers of Shit

Ansley

Ansley

Frustrations are taken out on women; "takers of shit"

Fictive Kin

Tipper

Tipper

Studied childhood: children have an active role in who is active family

Gay Kinship

Weeks

Weeks

Gays use kinship as family to replicate security and safety = same issues as homosexual couples

Fear of Heteronormal

Einasdottir

Einarsdottir

Heterosexuality is default, leading to disembodied disclosure (navigating safety and identity) where personal life is silenced

Donor Families

Nordqvist and Smart

Nordqvist and Smart

Donor Conceived Families: meaning prioritised over biology

Meanings to Leaving Home

Morgan

Morgan

Family structures are not passive: dependent on meanings. Interviews showed that there are different meanings to leaving home

Researching Children and Verstehen

Smart

Smart

People are free to construct their own individual network of 'family': ongoing influence of class, gender, ethnicity

Plastic Sexuality

Giddens

Giddens: Plastic Sexuality

Contraception and women at work: nature of relationships has changed to intimacy and love

Confluent Love

Giddens

Giddens: Confluent Love

Relationships are made out of love rather than obligation; they break down easier

Silicon Valley Study

Stacey

Stacey

Freedom of choice benefitted women: rejection of traditional values make families more diverse and democratic