...Examine the factors that have affected the domestic division of labour and power relations between couples (24 marks) Domestic labour consists of housework, childcare and paid work that is being done in the family to keep the family supported. Parsons suggested that the husband and wife have different roles within the family; man’s role being instrumental and the woman’s role being expressive. He is expected to aim and achieve high so he can support the family financially and the wife will be expected to cook, clean, look after the children and be emotionally stable to do so. He said that men and women where biologically suited to these roles, as it was only natural for the men to be successful breadwinners and the women o be stay at home housewives. However a criticism from the march of the progress says that the only reason that things are getting better is because they feel that the men and women are becoming more equal and sharing the roles in the family. Anne Oakley argues that we still live in a patriarchal (male dominated) society, and therefore women occupy a subordinate and dependant role within the family. Young and Willmot (1973) said that the symmetrical family is becoming increasingly popular as this is a type of family in which the domestic chores, childcare and paid work roles are split equally between the man and woman. This family type is becoming so popular because women’s position in society has changed significantly over the recent years and it’s now normal...
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...the factors affecting the domestic division of labour and power relations between couples (20 marks). The domestic division of labour refers to the tasks that men and women do in relation to housework, childcare, and paid work. Sociologists are interested in the factors that affect domestic division of labour and whether men and women share domestic tasks equally. A factor affecting the domestic division of labour and power relations between couples is patriarchy. Patriarchy is when the father is the head of the family, dominating everything that happens. Men may feel as though they are the head of the family because they generally earn more money than women, making men feel more superior. This creates a division because the ‘man of the house’ may not allow for the wife to have an input or their opinion in a decision that the man has already made, leaving the wife to keep her ideas, thoughts, and opinions to herself. Also, as men feel as though they are the ones who bring the money into the family, they feel as though they do not need to help out with domestic tasks within the household. Another factor affecting the domestic division of labour is that there are instrumental and expressive roles in which the husband and wife play. In the traditional nuclear family, the roles of husbands and wives are separate and distinct from one another. Talcott Parsons created a functionalist model of the nuclear family in 1955 to show the clear division of labour between the husband and wife...
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...affecting power relationships and the division of labour between couples (24 marks). The domestic division refers to how household and childcare tasks are shared between the adult partners in a household. Domestic tasks could include tasks like washing, ironing or even childcare. These tasks were seen as tasks that would be commonly be took up by the woman of the household as they experience what Parsons would call the expressive role. Functionalists saw this being the norm of the typical family household, which they thought to be a nuclear family. However, more recent times have proven that the domestic division of labour has revolutionised and is now a lot more equal, meaning men share household tasks with the women. Through society we also see a diverse nature of power within relationships between couples. Factors upon power authorised in relationships could have to do with person with the most power within; financial, physical or political. Young and Willmott take on the ‘march of progress view’ which see couples to more equal and fair. Feminists reject this view as they see that the family is still patriarchal dominated through roles taken upon. It can be seen throughout society that opportunities have arisen for women to go out into paid employment, thus giving women a sense of financial independence and not being self-reliant on their husbands. This theory was proposed by Young and Willmott, they also found that the division of labour becomes a lot sharper and not as wide...
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...Acta Sociologica http://asj.sagepub.com/ Work-Life 'Balance' in Europe Rosemary Crompton and Clare Lyonette Acta Sociologica 2006 49: 379 DOI: 10.1177/0001699306071680 The online version of this article can be found at: http://asj.sagepub.com/content/49/4/379 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: Nordic Sociological Association Additional services and information for Acta Sociologica can be found at: Email Alerts: http://asj.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://asj.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://asj.sagepub.com/content/49/4/379.refs.html >> Version of Record - Nov 13, 2006 What is This? Downloaded from asj.sagepub.com at University of Huddersfield on October 7, 2012 ACTA SOCIOLOGICA 2006 Work–Life ‘Balance’ in Europe Rosemary Crompton and Clare Lyonette Department of Sociology, City University, London, UK abstract: Although work–life ‘balance’ is an EU policy priority, within Europe there are considerable variations in the nature and extent of supports that national governments have offered to dual-earner families. In general, the Nordic welfare states offer the highest level of supports, although other countries, such as France, have historically offered extensive childcare supports to working mothers. We examine national variations in reported levels of work–life conflict, drawing upon questions...
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...Examine the factors affecting power relationships and division of labour between couples. There are many factors that affect power relationships and division of labour between couples, mainly the traditional division of domestic labour within the past. Other factors include the breakdown of traditions, gender inequality and negative factors such as domestic abuse and violence. There are a variety of views and approaches to the factors from Feminists, Marxists and Functionalists. Division of labour between couples is the assignment of different parts of a process or task to different people in order to improve efficiency. This includes housework, childcare and paid work. However power relationships is where there is an evident controller of power within the relationship or whether the power is equal or symmetrical within the relationship. The factor of gender inequality is presented by Parsons 1955 within the family and relationships. He said that, women and men have different segregated roles that are very different and distinctly opposite to one another within couples. Parsons saw the man having the instrumental role, in which he works and provides for the family as the breadwinner. The mans life is about providing, financially supporting the family and achieving success at work. However the women within the relationship holds the expressive role, where she provides emotional support for the family, carries out the housework and gives the primary socialisation to the children...
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...Essay Assess the contribution of feminism to our understanding of families and households (24 marks ) There are several feminists perspective that attempt to understand family and household life, especially the role of which the women play in the social institution. However, they are similarities between the feminists perspective as most of them agree that women are oppressed within the family. This can be seen through who has the most benefits from domestic division and how these inequalities are shown. In this essay I will examine the three feminist perspectives on the family: liberal feminism, Marxist feminism and radical feminism. Liberal feminists argue that the family is the key source to male domination and female oppression. They analysed the fact that in the past, father had the right to rule other family members. However, a liberal feminist called Gavron argued the family is a patriarchal institution, which mirrors patriarchal society. Which is seen in our society as most leaders in government predominately male, this is even seen in schools as most head teachers are male thus enforcing society to be more male dominate. The oppression of male domination has also led to women being more subservient in the work place, which make them subservient at home as they abide to the set norms of them cooking, cleaning and caring. Thus makes the liberal feminist believe that patriarchy is not a physical force, but a force of institutional control. In some cases the liberal...
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...Sociology Essay: “Examine the factors affecting power relationships and the division of labour between couples” (24 marks) A power relationship is defined as an imbalance of power between the two people within a relationship. Traditionally, this will mean that one partner will be dominant and manipulative towards the other. Michelle Barrett and Mary McIntosh support this idea that there is an imbalance of power between men and women in heterosexual relationships. They believe the men gain far more from domestic work than they give back in finance. Additionally, this sense of ‘power’ suggestively is rooted from the means of finances – men generally earn more and exert this power on decision making and resources in the household. For example, Barett and McIntosh argue that men usually make these decisions, concluding that financial input is a key factor within a power relationship. Furthermore, it is argued by Elaine Kempson that this imbalance is apparent among low-income families. She notes that within these families, women’s basic human rights are ignored or not seen as a priority, such as women having smaller portions of food or simply skipping meals altogether. Other needs that are set aside are their own female needs and seldom going out. This theory links closely to the fact that power relationships, from a financial perspective, are observed by two key factors; pooling and an allowance system. Evidence of a more symmetrical, balanced relationship financially is shown...
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...Assess sociological explanations for inequalities between husband and wives Domestic division of labour is referred to the roles that both men and women play in comparison to housework. There are 2 types of roles called conjugal roles and joint roles. Conjugal roles are where partners have different tasks within the family so there is a clear division of male and female roles. However joint roles is where partners share their roles so there is few divisions in the family making the household more symmetrical. Domestic division of labour has changed over time as it started with agriculture (pre industrialisation) then industrialisation which was the development of nuclear families and finally post-modern society. Functionalist sociologist parsons argues that the nuclear family roles are segregated. He believed that division of labour is based of biological differences so women naturally suiting to the caring role. He also believed the nuclear family was important for teaching children cultural values and discipline as well as structuring a Childs personality. Parson says a nuclear family is made of prove, warmth, security and support. Many feminists disagreed with his theory as they argued it took away women equalities. The women plays 3 main roles which are expressive: paid work, childcare and domestic labour and emotional work. These roles are usually referred to triple shift. The man plays an instrumental role meaning working...
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...Using material from item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that gender roles and relationships have become more equal in modern family life (24 marks) The domestic division of labour refers to the roles that men and women take in relation to housework. These roles are often referred to as conjugal roles; roles which display roles within marriage itself. Segregated conjugal roles described the situation of man and wife having separate roles within the house where the man would more often be the breadwinner and the woman would be the homemaker. This notion supported Parsons idea of expressive roles, but is the centre of debate for feminist sociologists. There are also joint conjugal roles which represents the idea that couples share tasks such as housework, child rearing and decision making etc. Joint conjugal roles also describe the couple as sharing leisure time together, rather than independently. Within these marriages relationships also vary. One of the most deviant and misunderstood issue within the married couple is the idea that coercive power is used to control the other; usually the male using physical power (according to statistics). Domestic violence can be defined as any kind of physical, psychological, sexual or financial violence that takes place within the family toward an intimate partner. Domestic violence is seen as a method of control amongst partners, to display dominance and/or authority. It is often under-reported so national statistics are not always...
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...Families and Households There is a large debate amongst many Sociologists in relation to gender divisions of labour within families and households. Factionalists such as Murdock accomplished that family is so beneficial to society that it is unavoidable and global. This view is not shared by all sociologists. Feminists would dispute what functionalist’s state. Most feminists believe family exploits and discourages women. Parsons, a functionalist argues that there is a strong detachment of work between husbands and wives based on biological changes. He claimed that these detachments are favourable to men, women, children and wider society. Parsons believes women have the sensitive role designed towards homemaking and childcare. Men hold the instrumental role designed towards work and being the breadwinner. The New Right supports Parsons, they believe that the division of gender is normal and beneficial to family and furnishes the children to integrate to modern society. However many sociologists such as Young and Willmott claim that men are now sharing domestic roles and more wives are now becoming breadwinners as well. Feminist’s sociologists disagree with Parsons they claim that this only benefits men and the division of labour is not natural. Willmott and Young conducted a study in the 1950’s with a group of working class extended families which confirmed that conjugal roles have become more segregated. However in the 1970’s they conducted another study of...
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...family roles and relationships Feminists as a whole take a critical view of the family and they argue that family life oppresses women. They mainly focus on issues such as the unequal division of labour and domestic violence against women. Feminists believe that gender inequality is neither natural nor inevitable but something that society created. Feminists belief in the symmetrical family, which promotes the roles of husbands and wives being, not identical, but similar. Feminism does not cover all the beliefs of the different types of feminists and each approaches family life in a different way and provides varied solutions for each problem or issue. There are many feminists who argue that, despite women having jobs and working, there is little or insufficient evidence of a “new man” who helps out and does an equal share of domestic labour. Women seem to have simply acquired the burden of both paid work and unpaid housework, which is known as the dual burden. So the family still remains to be patriarchal; men are benefiting from their wives or partners unpaid housework. Further support comes from Elsa Ferri and Kate Smith (1996) who provide evidence of the dual burden. They found that the employment increase of women outside of home has had little impact on the domestic division of labour between the sexes. Liberal feminism is an individualistic form of the feminist theory, which primarily focuses on women’s ability to show and maintain their equality through their own...
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...Rachel Deere Access the view that family relationships have become more equal. Different sociologists have had different views to whether family relationships have become equal. Researchers have measured different aspects of equality/inequality in family relationships. Some have concentrated on the division of labour in the home, examining the allocation of responsibility for domestic work between husband and wife and the amount of time spent by each sex on particular tasks. Willmott and Young are amongst those who have argued that family relationships and roles are equal. However, Ann Oakley has researched into the area of family relationships and has found little evidence that couples share equal division of domestic tasks. Rather than seeing a march of progress towards symmetry since the 19th century as Young and Willmott do, the feminist Ann Oakley (1974) shows how the housewife role has become a more dominant role for married women. The rise of industrialisation in the 19th century was said to have led to the separation of paid work from the home meaning women were gradually excluded from workplace and confined to the home with responsibility for housework and childcare while men became the breadwinners. Parsons claimed that this socially constructed the housewife role and that is wasn’t a ‘natural’ role brought upon by the economic dependence on men. Oakley views that although there was an increase in the number of married women working in the 20th...
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...discussion include: the division of domestic labour; the impact of paid work; the decision making and the control of the family finances; the “triple shift”; and domestic violence. All of these points have arguments supporting and opposing the question in hand and different sociological perspectives will have very different views on all of these matters. Feminists, for example, will most likely agree with the question and will try to prove that the British family is a patriarchal institute, whereas functionalists would argue that the members of the family all of separate roles and purposes in order to fulfil society’s needs, therefore being more likely to oppose the feminist view. Domestic labour is work performed in the home, e.g. cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Some functionalists, such as Parsons, view that traditional division of labour in a family reflects the biological differences men and women. He also believes that everybody benefits from this as society's needs are met due to the roles being complimentary of each other; the male’s traditional roles of being the “breadwinners” and the women's “expressive” role help everyone involved in the family and society. The “march of progress” view claims that the conjugal roles in the family are gradually improving and are becoming more equal and symmetrical. Willmott and Young have also argued that due to the fact that the number of women workers has risen significantly, men are more likely to help with the domestic duties; this has...
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...market place. The volume of furniture solid is highly correlated to new homes sales and the industry has been slow to bounce back from the recession of 2008. Import penetration from countries with emerging economies is putting pricing pressures on domestic furniture manufacturers. To leverage its key success factor of low shipping costs and short delivery times Palliser has focused on strategic locations for their factories by identifying the different target markets for its comprehensive product lines and have made expansion decisions appropriately. Our recommendation is that they continue with their current location strategy as it meets their operation goals and allows them to access the highest number of market segments and is the best strategy to grow the business. In assessing new locations for strategies we recommend the company determine which of their product lines or revenue streams have the highest consumer demand and are the most profitable. Once it is decided which line to expand they need to identify potential locations and decide if they wish to build or use an existing building. They need to then do a comprehensive evaluation of the locations taking into account; access to raw materials, access to non-unionized labour, access to Government incentive packages, proximity to customers and competitors in...
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...Bridging Work- ESSENTIAL Research topic: Is the position of men and women in the family equal? The Division of labour refers to the roles that men and women occupy within the family. Many types of division of labour exist and have changed over time. Task 1: Research the following types of division of labour and complete the table: Type of Division of labour | Definition | Statistics or studies that support the type of division of labour | Instrumental role | | | Expressive role | | | Segregated role | | | Joint conjugal role | | | Symmetrical family | | | Patriarchal family | | | Matriarchal family | | | Dual burden | | | Triple shift | | | Find out the following: What are the definitions for each type of division of labour? Research either statistical evidence or sociological research that supports each type of division of labour – the evidence does not need to be recent. Create a table as seen above. Task 2: Write two statements; for and against the question “Is the position of men and women in the family equal?” You must include evidence to support your points, the definitions researched above and your own point of view. Each statement (for and against the question) should be at least one side of A4. You can also use newspaper articles to support your statements e.g. which gender is more likely to carry out domestic work? Childcare? Or paid employment? Does this suggest the family is...
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