Download Feminism and the Household

Feminism and the Household
Access to HE – Sociology
Sara Brett
Objectives:
• Outline the next assignment brief
• Introduce terms relating to the topic
The domestic division of labour
•
Refers to the roles that men and women play in
relation to housework, childcare and paid work.
• Sociologists are interested in whether men and
women share domestic tasks equally.
Parsons (1955): Instrumental and Expressive
Roles
• Traditional family – roles of husbands and wives are segregated
(separate and distinct from one another)
• Husband has an instrumental role – breadwinner
• Wife has an expressive role – homemaker
• Parsons argues that gender division of labour is functional for the
family
• This is biologically based – women are naturally suited to nurturing
and men to providing so everyone benefits from this specialisation.
The ‘March of Progress View’
• This sees conjugal roles becoming more equal in modern society.
Elizabeth Bott (1957) – 2 types of conjugal role:
• Segregated Conjugal Roles are separate. Sharp division of labour
between male breadwinner and female homemaker (ring any bells?)
Husband and wife spend leisure time separately.
• Joint Conjugal Roles – couples share domestic tasks and leisure
• Young and Wilmott (1973) take a march of progress view. They see
family life as gradually improving, becoming more equal and
democratic. Move towards ‘Symmetrical Family’.
The development of Feminism
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO304aoUAWE
• http://www.j-walk.com/other/goodwife/
Conjugal roles: historically
• What was seen as typically a woman’s role in the 1950’s before the
Women’s Liberation Movement?
• What was a man’s role?
• What is the set-up in your household today? Is it very different to that
of your parents?
• Which conservative thinkers and politicians also hold this view?
• How would feminists criticise this view?
• Why is it outdated in terms of today’s society?
Homework: Research
• Carry out research into Neo-Functionalist (Young and Wilmott),
Marxist and Feminist views on the role of women in the household
and make notes.
• Ask members of an older generation what was expected of women
when they were children. What role did their mother have in their
home?
• Think about the equality of division of domestic chores between men
and women in your home and compare it to the home that you grew
up in.