Sociology Unit 1 Family and HouseholdsTopic 1 Couples - The Domestic Division Of Labour

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 Unit 1 Family and Housholds

Topic 1 -Couples

The Domestic Division of Labour

Definition- refers to the roles that men and women play in terms of housework, childcare and paid work.

Parsons-instrumental and expressive roles

Traditional Nuclear family the role of the husband and wife are segregated meaning they are not equal and are not the same as each other Parsons 1955 functionalist model says there is a clear division of labour between spouses:

·         Instrumental role – Husbands role this means that that they are geared towards achieving success at work. This is because men’s role in a Traditional Nuclear family is to provide financially for the family he brings the income into the family.

·         Expressive role- this is carried out by the wife meaning that the wife does childcare and helps towards primary socialisation. Meeting the family’s needs. Basically she is a full time housewife.

Parson argues that the reason for this division is due to biological difference.

·         Women suited to nurture role

·         Men suited to the provider role

He says that this division is beneficial to both men and women also to children and wider society. New rights would also agree with this because they are for the Nuclear Family.

But sociologists have criticised parsons of which are the following:

·         Michael Young and Peter Willmott (1962) they argue that’s men a taking a more equal share of domestic tasks, also that more women are become wage earner.

·         Feminist sociologist reject Parsons view this is because the division of labour is natural that’s why Parsons is saying women should do that role it doesn’t benefit them it just benefits men

 Joint and segregated Conjugal roles

Elizabeth Bott (1957) says that there are 2 types of conjugal roles within marriage which are the following:

·         Segregated conjugal roles- this is where they have separate roles male breadwinner and women housewife. Their leisure activities also tend to be separate.

·         Joint Conjugal Roles- this is where they share tasks i.e. housework, childcare and spend their leisure time together.

Young and Willmott identified a pattern of segregated conjugal roles on their study of traditional working class families in London (1950). They found that men were the breadwinner and played little part in home life and spent leisure time with their own mates. Were women were full time housewives and took care of childcares who were helped by over female relatives. When they had any leisure time it was usually spent with female kin.

The symmetrical Family

Young and Willmott (1973) they take on a March of Progress view in terms of the history of the family. They see family life improving slowly for its entire member becoming more meritocratic. They argue that there has been long term trend away from segregated conjugal roles towards joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family.

Symmetrical family- meaning the role of husbands and wife within the




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