Delphy and Leonard's Theory of Gender Roles

Introduction

- Feminist writers that focused on familiar exploitation of women in the family.

- Saw the exploitation of women in the family not as a benefit to capitalism, but rather as a benefit to men.

- The family is patriarchal in nature and allows men to have a sense of authority at home. 

Domestic Labour

- The domestic labour that females provided at home would have been rewarded with wages outside of the home.

- Deemed to be 'non-productive' when performed in the home, they lost their worth and were not counted in the economy.

- Home is not a refuge from work for women but rather an economic microsystem of its own.

- Work performed by women is 'invisible' and forms part of a set of expectations of being a wife and mother.

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