Download Marriage – Data Response question

Marriage – Data Response question
Item
Sociologists such as Willmot and Young have argued that the division of
labour within couples has become more or less equal. However, other
sociologists disagree. For example, Anne Oakley (1974) studied a sample
of 20 middle class and 20 working class women in their 20s with at least
one child aged under 5 living in London. Although domestic tasks were
more equally shared out in middle class couples, in both social classes only
a minority of men had a high participation in housework (15 per cent) or
childcare (25 per cent)
While Oakley looked at both classes, Stephen Edgell (1980) studied 38
middle class couples. He found that in terms of housework, none of the
couples could be said to have joint conjugal roles, while only a minority
(44.6 per cent) had joint conjugal roles in childcare.
Using material from Item B and elsewhere assess the view that the
division of labour within couples has become more or less equal.
(20 marks)
Remember the majority of evidence we have looked at suggests that the
division of labour has not become equal. Make sure you refer to the
research into Money organisation, decision making, emotion work and love,
as well as domestic divisions of labour.
You could also refer to the feminist perspective on the family.