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Conjugal Roles Conjugal roles are those roles defined by a society’s culture and values on a gender basis. Socio-biologists, such as Murdock, would argue that they are biologically based, but this view is now generally rejected by sociologists. Feminists (i.e. radical) see such roles as patriarchy in a society whose organisation and purpose is the domination of women by and for men. Marxist-feminists would see them as linked to the capitalist structure. Conjugal roles can relate to a number of different facets within the family structure, such as power within marriage, eg. Stephen Edgell’s study, Middle Class Couples (1980). Conjugal roles can relate to ideological power, ie. the ability to persuade people – usually women – to accept that which is against their own interests, for example, a subservient role within marriage. Segregated conjugal roles as opposed to joint conjugal roles. Segregated conjugal roles are seen as a feature of past societies. Many argue there are joint conjugal roles with a sharing of roles and implicit equality, but this is rejected by many feminists who argue that women now experience the dual burden of full/parttime employment coupled with still having to do all or most of the domestic work. Studies and an evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses ● Willmott and Young’s The Symmetrical Family (1975): Supports functionalist approach. Argued there was now symmetry in domestic labour: household chores and leisure time between husband and wife were now fairly evenly shared. The conjugal bond in modern families was strong so joint conjugal roles were prevalent. A strength of their study was it recognised changes that have taken place since industrialised society. Feminists, such as Annie Oakley, are particularly critical of Young and Willmott for arguing that symmetry has been achieved. Wilmott and Young’s findings were heavily criticised for being misleading – eg. the conclusion that 72% of men do housework based on their response to one question. Stephen Edgell’s study, Middle Class Couples (1980): Interviewed husbands and wives about decision making and found that men dominated in the decisions that were conceived as important – eg. finance and moving house. Annie Oakley’s Housewife (1974): Seen as a definitive Marxist/socialist feminist study. Argued that conjugal roles had changed markedly in the 20th century. In pre-industrial Britain, women worked alongside men; industrialisation led to the sexual division of labour. Women then became increasingly excluded from paid work and reliant on the male wage. Thus came the development of segregated roles. A strength of her study is that it identifies and foregrounds the development of separate conjugal roles with the inherent inequality, subjugation and exploitation of women. Identifies differences on a class basis – greater equality amongst middle class women than working class women. However, even here there existed little equality. Oakley, as with other feminists, is criticised for emphasising the negative aspects of the family and neglecting positive aspects and progress that women have made. Oakley was also criticised for basing conclusions on a very small sample that was not representative of the population as a whole, and for failing to study changes in conjugal roles over a period of time between men and women within the family.