Couples and Equality

Couples and Equality

1. The march of progress - men are becoming more involved in domestic tasks and women are getting jobs

   • Gershuny - women working full time is leading to more equality and these women tend to do less domestic work
   • Sullivan - found that between 1975 to 1997 women were doing a smaller amount of domestic work
   • In 1984, 45% of men agreed that women should stay at home and men control the money. Where as in 2012 only 13% of men agreed

2. The Feminist View

   • Women are now having to carry a 'dual burden' this means they have to balance childcare, housework and a full/part time job
     • In 2012, 70% of women always/usually do the laundry
       • Only coming down by 9% since 1994
       • 60% of women felt the division of labour was unfair

3. Responsibility of Children

   • Ferri and Smith - fathers took responsibility for childcare in fewer than 4% of families
   • Dex and Ward - when caring for a sick child only 1% took the main responsibility
   • Emotional work
     • Women are mainly responsible for helping their children face eg. squabbles with friends
     • Duncombe and Marsden - argue women face the triple shift (housework, paid work, emotion work)