Couples - The domestic division of labour

Joint and segregated conjugal roles
1. Elizabeth Bott (1957): Two types of conjugal roles.
  1. Segregated conjugal roles, couples have separate roles: breadwinner and homemaker
  2. Joint conjugal roles, couples share roles.
2. Young and Wilmott (1950s): Found that WC families in Bethnal Green had segregated conjugal roles.
  1. Males not involved with house roles. They spend time with other male friends and females would do house work and help other female relatives.
Parsons (1955): instrumental and expressive roles
1. Crisicism
  1. Young and Willmott (1962): Men are now doing more domestic tasks and women are becoming wage earners.
  2. Feminist sociologists: Division of labour is not natural, it only benefits men.
2. Division of labour is based on biological differences. The roles for men and women are 'natural'.
3. Expressive roles are carried out by wives. They focus on the primary socialisation of the children & meeting family's emotional needs. HOMEMAKER.
4. Instrumental roles are carried out by husbands. They focus in working so that they can provide for the family financially. BREADWINNER.
The symmetrical family
1. Young and Wilmott (1973): Has a 'march of progress' view on the history of the family.
  1. -Women now go out to work. -Men now help with housework and childcare. -Couples now spend more time together than separately.
2. Roles carried out by husbands and wives are a lot more similar.
Oakley: the rise of the housewife role
A feminist view of housework

Resource summary

	Created by Mike Cardona about 9 years ago