Couples

PARSONS :  2 roles  based on biological differences. ===> supported by the New Right
CRITISISMS

• Young and Willmott- families are becoming more equal
• Feminists - this only benefits men

ELIZABETH BOTT: 2 types of conjugal roles within marriage
Supported by Willmott and Young by a study conducted in Bethnal green 1950s

YOUNG AND WILLMOTT: shift from conjugal roles to symmetrical family
-women go out to worok
-men help with childcare
-leisure time sepnt together
During a study of couples in London found that symmetrical families are more likely amongst young couples, as a result of :
1.)Changes in womens positions     2.)New technology     3.)Higher standards of living

CRITISISMS

• Oakley claims this is exaggarated and that women still do the most housework

                                                                          Ann Oakley                                                          

• Reject march of progress
• younger men more likely to help
• own research in the 70s showed that 15% of men help with housework and 25% with childcare
• Supported by Boulton
• Research in the 90s showed same trend
• Willmotts and Youngs views exaggarated
• sex-typing of housework still strong

Impact of paid work

Going into paid work has not helped women, but created a dual burden of paid, and emotional work for the family.
Evidence from British Social Attitutes survey in 2012 showed that women still do x2 amount of housework and childcare in comparison to their husbands & there is still a sex-styping of domestic jobs, men getting the more pleasurable ones.

Cultural/Ideological explanations of inequality

• patriachal norms in society creates expectations within the households
• Gershuny- couples whos parents have more equal roles share housework equally as well
• Man Yee Kan - men do more than their fathers, and women do less than their mothers
• Socialisation of the young favours more equal relationships

Material/ economic explanations for inequality

• Men and Women earn equal amounts, should lead to more equality amongsts domestic tasks
• Kan found every £10,000 more a women earns, she does 2h less of house work
• Arber and Ginn found M/C women are able to buy products and services to carry out domestic tasks for them
• Sullivan found that full time ot part-time had the biggest impact on how much housework women carry out

Howwever, men tend to earn more 7/8 households. Hence, there is no immediate prospect of more equal division of labour.

Barett and Mclnotsh

• Men gain more than they give financially
• Support men give to wives is unpredictable,and comes with 'strings-attached'
• Men make decisions on spendings, but Pooling is on the rise (shared bank account)

Decision making :

• Pooling creates a more equal relationship, doesnt mean its definataley equal
• More likely when both partenrs are in full time jobs
• Evidence does show that important decisions are either made by the men alone, or jointly

CRITISISMS

• Inequality is deeply rooted in socialisation, and the patriachal society.
• In Homosexual couples theres more equality

Can include psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional violence or abuse.
Domestic violence doesn't occur randomly, but follows social patterns, and have rooted causes and it's most comonly men against women.    2 a week are killed

Dobash and Dobash: found that a challenge to authority is could set off violence and that marriage legitimises un-equal power as the wife becomes dependant. However, they also found a narrow gender gap in reporting crimes.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS- UNDERSTATE THE TRUE PROBLEM

• victims are not willing to report crimes. Average = 35 assaults before reporting
• Often feel the police shoulodnt get involved inside the house
• Police and prosecutors might be reuluctatnt to prosecute as they are not prepared to becopme involved in the family  as its private, and that families should be kept together for better.

Explanations for domestic violence :

• patriachal ideas, culture values and institutions  ---> Radical fem
• Marriage is the key factor of womens oppression    ---> Radical fem
• male dominated institutions help men stay reluctatnt to the police   ---> Radical fem
• economic factors such as lack of resources   

Who's most likely to be a victim of domestic violence

• Young women
• Lowest classes of society
• Low income
• Long term illness or disability

Wilkinson's approach shows how some are at a greater risk of domestic vioolence and it's useful in showing how social inequality produces stress and triggers conflicts and violence in families. As those in in lower classes face greater hardshipand thus stress, this helps to explain the class difference in statistics of domestic violence.

However, unlike radical feminists approach Wilkinson does not explain why women