This document summarizes key areas of interest regarding inequalities within families and households focusing on couples. It discusses whether men and women share housework, childcare, and family decisions equally and get equal shares of household income. It also examines why domestic violence occurs and who commits it. The learning objectives are to understand gender roles in domestic labor, power relationships between couples including decision-making and control of resources, and how these roles and relationships have changed over time. Students should also be able to evaluate sociological views on couples' roles and relationships.

1. Couples
This topic is concerned with in/equality within families and households
(focusing on couples). The key areas of interest here are:
> Do men & women share housework & childcare equally?
> Do men & women have an equal say in family decisions & do they get
equal shares of the household income?
> Why does domestic violence occur & who commits it?
Your learning objectives for this topic are as follows; You Should…
> Know about gender roles in the domestic division of labour.
> Know about power relationships between couples, including decision-
making, control of resources & domestic violence.
> Be able to analyse how far these roles & relationships have changed
over time.
> Be able to evaluate different sociological views on couples’ roles &
relationships.

9. Gatrell (2004):
> Highly qualified women
Browne (2008) highlights how pressures and are often discriminated
expectations to take on multiple roles means against after returning to
that women’s careers suffer. work after maternity
leave.
> Gatrell found that many
‘returning’ women were
labelled as ‘Jelly Heads’
by colleagues and given no
option but to accept lower
status, down-graded
positions.
> Although this is
illegal, many women don’t
fight their case as they
could face further
Are these arguments labelling such as being
justified? Explain your ‘awkward’ & thus facing
answers. further discrimination.