FAMILIES & HOUSEHOLDS
THE DOMESTIC DIVISION OF LABOUR EXPLANATIONS FOR THE GENDER DIVSION CHILDHOOD FUNCTIONALIST P
Crompton & Lynnette (2008): Cultural differences: Murdock: sexual, reproduc
FUNCTIONALIST the cultural/ideological explanation: Punch (2001) study of rural Bolivia: once children are 5 and economic function
they take responsibility in the home & community
Parsons: instrumental & women do more because society expects Historical differences
Parsons- functional fit: th
expressive role them too Ariès - argues that childhood did not exist in the Middle best suits societal needs
(support)- Dunne: lesbians are more Ages (examined artwork), children were ‘mini adults,’ society, by extended suite
M.O.P with the same rights, duties & skills as adults. This was Parsons two essentia
symmetrical as they don’t have seen through shared dress, work and leisure
Bott: joint/segregated heteronormative scripts Pollock: childhood did exist, just differently. primary socialisation o
stabilisation of adul
conjugal roles The material/economic explanation:
Shorter - high infant mortality led to indifference &
neglect, eg: babies were called ‘it’ or named after their Parsons two essent
Wilmott & Young: ‘the women earn less so it’s more rational for dead sibling
1. geographical mobility:
women to do more housework & men Modern childhood
symmetrical family’ Ariès: childhood emerged in the 13th century, as seen requires families to mo
earn more money are, which is easie
reasons: new technology, (support)- Kan: for every £10,000 a
through schools, differences in clothing and
‘childrearing’ guides- the 20th century is the ‘‘century of generational nuc
geographical mobility, higher women makes, she does 2 hours less of the child’
2. social mobility: it is esse
reasons for changes: laws & welfare, mandatory
standards, changes to women’s housework per week schooling, decline in family size & infant mortality people can win promoti
positions (support) - Ramos: in families where the The disappearance of childhood their backgrounds
women is the breadwinner, he does just Postman: childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed, Warm Bath Theory: t
seen through children having the same rights,
as much housework unsupervised games, ‘‘adult” clothing and children
stress of wo
HOUSEWORK commuting “adult” crimes (eg murder)
previously adults had control over the information
FEMINIST DESCISON MAKING hierarchy and when children learnt about things (eg:
sex) but television has blurred the distinction between
MARXIST PERS
Oakley: only 15%/25% husbands have a adulthood & childhood
Pahl & Volger Postmodern- Jenks Engles: monogamy and
high level of involvement in
the allowance system: men give Childhood is changing, not disappearing a way for the rich to
housework/childcare The M.O.P view- Child centric society inheritance an
Dex & Wade: only 1% fathers care for sick their wives a budget & retain the 1900 infant mortality - 154/1000, today - 4/1000
Engles: the “‘world histo
children surplus 1860 births per women - 5.7, today - 1.83
by a child’s 21st birthday, their parents would’ve spent female sex” as wome
Russel & Hoschild: the triple shift
pooling: both partners have access about £227,000 (movement from financial asset to instruments for the
M.O.P to income & joint responsibilities liability) childre
Gershuny: women in full time work do less Toxic childhood
Family performs ideo
housework than unemployed women
even when couples opt for pooling, Palmer: rapid technological & economic changes have
which socialises childr
Gershuny: people who’s parents were men still make the major financial damaged children’s physical, emotional & intellectual
development (eg: junk food, video games). This is capitali
equal are also equal decisions evidenced by children self harming, obesity rates in Zaretsky: family is a ‘sa
British Social Attitudes (2013): only 12% of Edgell: children, teenage pregnancies, etc
The conflict view
exploitative
women and 13% men agree with
very important decisions, eg There are inequalities amount children in terms of their A unit of consumptio
traditional roles
changing a job/moving, where down opportunities and risks, and the inequalities are greater “keeping up with the Jo
Wade & Hetherington: young men think than ever
to the men the latest products, t
housework should be equal 90% of the worlds low-birth weight children are born
‘The New Man’: shares domestic labour
children creating ‘p
less important, eg groceries: wife into developing countries
and in touch with his feminine side- treats control over children’s spaces, time, bodies, access to children who lack the
alone resources and neglect and abuse. stigmati
women as equal
