CONJUGAL ROLES

1. CONJUGAL ROLES

3. The domestic division of labour Parsons (Functionalist) • He argues that there is a clear division of labour between spouses based on biological differences • He claimed that these divisions are beneficial to men women children and wider society.

4. Parsons • Women have the expressive role geared towards homemaking and childcare. • Men hold the instrumental role geared towards work and being the breadwinner. • Parsons sees these roles as natural

5. What are conjugal roles? Conjugal roles are the roles of the man and woman [husband and wife] in the home Elizabeth Bott (1957) • Identified two different types of conjugal roles that people can have: • joint conjugal roles • When husbands and wives share housework and childcare, decisions and leisure time they have • segregated conjugal roles. • When husbands and wives do not share housework and childcare, decisions and leisure time they have

6. Joint and segregated conjugal roles • Segregated conjugal roles-where the couple have separate roles • male breadwinner • female homemaker/carer • Joint conjugal roles – where the couple share tasks and earning money

7. Willmott and Young (1960) • Identified a pattern of segregated roles in Bethnal Green. • Men went to work and spent leisure time at the pub • Women stayed at home and spent time with female relatives. • They also identified the modified extended family

8. The symmetrical family • Willmott and Young take a march of progress view- this means things gradually improving • By 1973 they argued that the trend towards the symmetrical family (joint conjugal roles) was underway with men helping with housework and women going out to work.

10. WHO USUALLY DOES THE HOUSEWORK?

11. Domestic division of labour and the ‘New Man’ MULTI-TASKING

13. Changing Roles!!

14. Young and Wilmott study Young and Willmottsaw the rise in this new type of symetrical family occurring because of….. • Changes in the position of women • Geographical mobility- couples moving away from the community they grew up in • New technology- labour saving devices • Better standards of living

15. Criticisms of Young and Wilmott’s study Ann Oakley (Radical Feminist) • Inadequate methodology • ‘help for at least once a week with any household jobs?’ • “a man who helps with the children once a week would be included in this %, so would (presumably) a man who ironed his own trousers on a Saturday afternoon.”

16. The Feminist View • They reject the march of progress view • Little has really changed in terms of gender roles in the family

17. The Feminist View • Ann Oakley (1974) criticises Willmott and Young • They said men do more based on them doing one task a week - like taking the children for a walk • This is not symmetry!

18. Ann Oakley • Oakley found that husbands were more likely to help with childcare than housework • Boulton (1983) found that W&Y exaggerated men’s contribution by looking at tasks and not responsibility- which was mostly down to women

19. Inequality in the home Boulton (1983) • Boulton studied 50 young married mothers in London, none of them had full-time jobs. • Boulton claimed that men will help out with certain bits of childcare such as nappy changing although women still have primary responsibility for the children.

20. Inequality in the home Boulton’s study revealed the following: What conclusions can be drawn from this data?

21. Hetherington and Warde (1993) • Support previous findings- women still doing most domestic tasks. • But some evidence of a slight change in attitude of younger men. • However women are still doing the bulk of household chores …….

23. the social construction of the housewife role - Oakley • In the 19th century the rise of industrialisation saw women gradually excluded from paid work • the housewife role came about and remains women’s primary role • When they do work women are concentrated in low paid ‘caring’ type jobs- an extension of the housewife role.

24. The impact of paid work • ¾ of married and cohabiting women are economically active • But is the new man doing his bit of the housework.. • Or are women just shouldering a double burden

25. Gershuny (1994) • Found that working women did less housework (full time workers did 73%) • Men were taking more responsibility but for different tasks e.g. DIY • Sullivan (2000) agrees that men are doing more. • Crompton agrees too but she says this is linked to how much women earn not a change in attitudes or values.

26. The commercialisation of housework • Silver and Schor - Housework has become commercialised • Goods and services (ready meals microwaves etc) reduce the amount of time women have to spend doing housework • Also since women work they can afford to buy this stuff.

27. The commercialisation of housework Evaluation: • A lot of women are poor and can’t actually afford to buy these services • It doesn’t say anything about sharing chores!

28. The dual burden

29. Feminists argue that…. • Despite going to work women are still doing the bulk of unpaid work in the home • Ferri and Smith - found less than 4% of childcare carried out by men • Even unemployed men don’t do the housework- they have lost ‘masculine’ role so female role is to be avoided. • However some studies show unemployed men do more housework (Ramos 2003)

30. Childcare • Good quality childcare is essential to working mums • This is not always available to working class families so women stay trapped in low paid part time jobs • Middle class couples often pay for nannies/cleaners etc

31. Emotion Work • Women are more likely to do jobs which are about managing emotions • Teaching • Nursing • This has been applied to the family

32. Emotion Work Duncombe and Marsden call it the triple shift • paid work • childcare & housework • Emotion work

33. ‘Triple shift’

34. The darkside of the family Dobash and Dobash(1980) • Radical feminists • Interviewed female victims who had left their abusive partners • Many do not report most incidents because of fear • Patriarchal power

35. Lesbian couples (Dunne 1999) • Lesbian couples have much more symmetrical relationships • They don’t have to follow ‘gender scripts’ • Supports radical feminist view that heterosexual relationships are inevitably patriarchal

36. Resources • How are resources in the home shared out? • Barrett and Macintosh (1991) found men get more in domestic labour than they give back in financial support. • Support they do give comes with strings attached. • Men also likely to make decisions about spending on important items.

37. Decision making • Pahl and Vogler(1993) found that pooling resources was increasing but men still make the big financial decisions. • Edgell (1980) found that men make important decisions like changing jobs or moving house • Women make less important decisions like food and décor • Feminists say that these inequalities are a result of patriarchal society and gender role socialisation