The document summarizes different sociological perspectives on family roles and the division of domestic labor within households. It discusses Parsons' view of instrumental and expressive roles separated by gender. While early studies found more segregated roles, more recent research shows trends toward more symmetrical families with shared domestic duties between men and women. However, other studies have found limited progress toward equality. Decision-making and control of finances within families is also discussed, with men often retaining more power even when wives contribute financially. Explanations for the persistence of traditional gender roles include cultural norms of patriarchy as well as economic factors.

1. Couples –Family
Parsons
Instrumental role –breadwinnerrole,heldbythe
husband.
Expressive role –housewiferole,domesticduties,held
by the wife.
Parsonsseesthese rolesasbeingnatural anddefinedby
the biological differencesbetweenmenandwomen.
 Feministsargue thatthisisnotnatural,but
constructedbypatriarchy.
 Young + Willmott– menare takingon more of an
equal share inthe domesticduties.
Conjugal roles - Bott
Jointandsegregatedconjugal roles –the roleswithina
marriage or partnershipthatare sharedor separate.
Jointroles – rolestakenonmy bothpartners.
Segregatedroles –traditional gendernormsthat
distinguishbetweenbothdomesticworkandleisure
activities/interests.
 Young + Willmottclaimthatsegregatedrolesonly
existwithinW/Chouseholds.
Symmetrical family -Young+Willmott
March of progressview,thathouseholdshave become
more symmetrical inboththe share of domesticwork
and paidwork.
StudiedaW/C familyandfoundthat:
 Womenwork
 Men helpoutmore at home
 Couplesspendtheirleisuretime togetherrather
than apart like before
What has causedthisshift?
 Smallerfamilysizes
 More womeninpaidwork/change inpositions
 Therefore,higherstandardof living
 Can affordlaboursavingdevices/newtechnology
 Oakleyrejectsthisview asitistooexaggerated,a
surveyconductedfoundthatonly15% if husbands
had an active involvementinhousework.
 Boulton – no increase seeninchildcare.
March of progress – Gershuny
 More womeninpaidworkhave seenmore equal
divisionof labour.
 BritishSocial AttitudesSurvey –decrease in
attitudestowardstraditional roles:
o 1984 41% - 2012 12%
o Where bothpartnershave equal rolesin
doingthe laundry:2002 15% - 2012 20%
 Boulton - doesnottell uswhois responsible for
makingsure tasksget done or how much time each
partnerspendsonthese tasks.
 Vincent+ Ball – inonly3/7 familiesintheirstudy
showedthe fatherwasthe maincare giver.
Triple shift–Hochschild
Womenhave the burdenof carrying outboth domestic
workand now paidwork butalso emotional work.
Emotional work – caring for/managingthe emotionsand
feelingsof familymembersaswell as theirown.
Explanationsforthe divisionof labour –Compton +
Lyonette
 Cultural – patriarchyand genderroles
 Economic– womenearnlesssochoose to stayat
home.
 Kan – youngermendidmore domesticworkthan
theirfatherssuggestingagenerational shift.
 Dunne– lesbiancoupleswere more equaldue tothe
absence of heterosexual gendernorms.
 Kan – forevery£10,000 a yearmore a woman
makes,she doestwohourslesshouseworkweekly.
 Ramos - whenthe womanis the breadwinnerthe
husbanddoesthe mostdomesticwork.
Moneymanagement – Vogler
Allowancesandpoolingsystems:
 Allowancesare restrictive andgive womenfew
opportunitiestoleave the home.Thisisaway for
husbandstocontrol theirpartners.
 Poolingallowsthe womantoshare some of the
wealthorcontribute towardsthe pool where each
couple share the money.

2.  Poolingdoesnotequal,equality.We needtoknow
whocontrolsthe pooledmoneyandwhoputsin
more.Cohabitingcouplesare lesslikelytouse this
systemincomparisontomarriedcouples.
Decisionmaking–Edgell
 Veryimportantdecisionsare made bythe husband
e.g.financial issues –wife hasa say but the ultimate
choice ismade by the husband.
 Importantdecisionsare made bythe wife e.g.
decidingwhere tosendtheirchildrentoschool.
 Lessimportantdecisionsare made bythe wife e.g.
decidingwhere togoon holiday.
Men earnmore andso have more say inhighly
importantdecisionsasitismostlikelyhismoneythat
will be spent.
 Gershuny - limitedmove towardsequality,only70%
of coupleshadequal say.
 Hardill – a man’scareeris alwaysprioritywhen
decidingto move house fora newjob.
 Finch – women’slivesare oftenstructuredaround
theirhusband’scareers.
 It ismore likelytobe equal whenthe wife isona
highincome.
Domesticviolence –Dobash + Dobash
Domesticviolence occurswhenahusbandfells
challenged.Marriage legitimisesviolence asall authority
istransferredtothe husband.
 Crime Survey – narrowgendergap,7.3% of women
and 5% of menreportbeingvictims.
 ‘Dark figure’of crime statistics 
Radical feministexplanation
Marriage andthe familyare keyinstitutionsforfemale
oppression.Withinthe familythe mendominate and
children’sneedsare putbefore thatof the wife.
Domesticviolence issaidtobe an inevitablepartof
patriarchal society.
 Elliot – notall menare abusers,mayare opposed
and condemndomesticviolence.
 Ignoresthe amountof domesticviolencethatis
carriedout againstmen.
 Failsto explainabuseagainstchildrencarriedoutby
the mother.
Materialistexplanation –Pickett
Stresson familymemberscausedbysocial inequality
leadstodomesticviolence.Those withlesspowerand
statusare more at riskof beingvictims.
 Useful andpractical applications
 Marxistfeministswouldagree,aswomenare often
describedas ‘takersof shit’(Ansley) where the man
ventshisangerand frustrationoutonthe women
because of alienationandoppressionatwork.
 It doesfail toexplainwhywomen,notmenare the
victimsof violence astheyare the onesostracisedat
work.
EXTRA: - old spec,whichmightbe helpful.
 Affectionatepower– the mostin love are easily
manipulated.Asawife ismore dependentonher
husband,she reliesonhimmore,whilethe husband
can spendmore time outside of the house.
 Influence –malesandfemalesuse acombinationof
verbal andnon-verbal techniquestogainpower,
femalesare justmore skilfulatdoingthistoget
whattheywant. However,itisthe male whooftenis
givenmore power.
 Dominance power–malesare more aggressive,
whilstfemalesare taughttobe passive,caringand
gentle throughsocialisation.
Note:remembersynopticityinyourwriting,whatcan
youpull frombeliefsinsocietyandotherchaptersin
familiesandhouseholdstohelpbulkoutyouressay??