Conjugal Role Relationships » Segregated Conjugal Roles

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

What segregated conjugal roles are and how they differ from joint roles
The historical context of segregated roles in families
How power and decision-making work in segregated relationships
Key sociological theories explaining segregated roles
Modern examples and changes in conjugal role patterns
Criticisms of the segregated conjugal roles model

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Understanding Segregated Conjugal Roles

Conjugal roles refer to the roles that husbands and wives (or partners) play in their relationship and how they divide tasks, responsibilities and decision-making. Segregated conjugal roles are a particular pattern where partners have clearly separated tasks and responsibilities with minimal overlap.

Key Definitions:

Conjugal roles: The roles, tasks and responsibilities performed by partners in a relationship.
Segregated conjugal roles: A relationship where partners have clearly separated and distinct tasks with little overlap or sharing.
Division of labour: How work, tasks and responsibilities are divided between partners.
Instrumental role: Typically associated with men in traditional families - focused on breadwinning and practical tasks.
Expressive role: Typically associated with women in traditional families - focused on emotional support and domestic tasks.

👨 Instrumental Role (Traditionally Male)

In segregated relationships, the male partner typically:

Is the primary or sole breadwinner
Works outside the home
Handles household repairs and DIY tasks
Makes major financial decisions
Has limited involvement in childcare
Focuses on practical problem-solving

👩 Expressive Role (Traditionally Female)

In segregated relationships, the female partner typically:

Manages the home and domestic chores
Takes primary responsibility for childcare
Provides emotional support to family members
Maintains family relationships and social connections
May not work outside the home or works part-time
Makes decisions about day-to-day household matters

Historical Context of Segregated Roles

Segregated conjugal roles were the dominant pattern in UK families for much of the 20th century, particularly in the post-war period (1950s-1960s). This pattern was reinforced by social norms, economic conditions and government policies that encouraged a male breadwinner/female homemaker model.

Historical Case Study: The 1950s "Ideal" Family

The 1950s are often seen as the peak period for segregated conjugal roles in Britain. After World War II, women who had worked in factories during the war were encouraged to return to domestic roles. Media, advertising and government policy promoted the nuclear family with clear gender divisions: father as breadwinner, mother as homemaker. Television shows like "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1955-1960) portrayed men as active and adventurous while women were shown in domestic settings. This period is sometimes called the "golden age" of the traditional family, though the reality was often more complex than these idealised portrayals.

Sociological Perspectives on Segregated Roles

Functionalist View

Functionalist sociologists like Talcott Parsons argued that segregated conjugal roles were functional for industrial society. They believed this arrangement helped families operate efficiently and provided stability.

📈 Parsons' Theory

Talcott Parsons (1950s) argued that the family works best when:

Men take on instrumental roles (breadwinning, practical tasks)
Women take on expressive roles (emotional support, childcare)
This division creates family stability and clear boundaries
Children learn appropriate gender roles through socialisation
This arrangement meets society's need for a stable workforce and well-adjusted children

⛔ Criticisms of Functionalism

Critics argue that functionalism:

Ignores power imbalances in traditional arrangements
Presents a conservative view that justifies inequality
Fails to recognise that segregated roles can be harmful to women's opportunities
Doesn't account for cultural and historical variations in family forms
Assumes what exists is what's best for society

Feminist Perspective

Feminist sociologists have been critical of segregated conjugal roles, seeing them as a manifestation of patriarchy that benefits men at women's expense.

🗣 Ann Oakley's Research

Ann Oakley's studies in the 1970s found that:

Housework was defined as "women's work" despite being real labour
Women spent 77 hours per week on housework and childcare
Men contributed very little to domestic tasks
Housework was monotonous, isolated and undervalued
The segregation of roles maintained male power and female subordination

⚖ Marxist Feminist View

Marxist feminists argue that:

Segregated roles benefit capitalism by providing free domestic labour
Women's unpaid work at home supports male workers and raises future workers
This arrangement keeps women economically dependent on men
The family serves as a "safety valve" for male workers' frustrations
Women form a "reserve army of labour" who can be drawn into paid work when needed

Evidence and Research on Segregated Roles

Several key studies have examined segregated conjugal roles in British families:

Key Research: Young and Willmott's Study

In their famous study "Family and Kinship in East London" (1957), Young and Willmott found clear evidence of segregated conjugal roles in working-class families. Men and women had separate spheres of activity and different friendship groups. Men spent leisure time with male friends at pubs while women maintained close relationships with female relatives, especially mothers. The researchers noted that these families operated as "two separate worlds" with minimal overlap in tasks and responsibilities.

Elizabeth Bott's research (1957) identified a connection between segregated roles and close-knit social networks. She found that couples with strong ties to extended family and local community were more likely to have segregated roles, while more isolated couples tended to develop more joint roles.

Changes in Conjugal Role Relationships

Since the mid-20th century, there has been a significant shift away from strictly segregated conjugal roles in the UK. Several factors have contributed to this change:

👩‍💼 Women's Employment

The dramatic increase in women's participation in the workforce has challenged traditional role divisions. By 2021, 72% of women in the UK were employed, compared to around 50% in the 1950s. This economic change has made the traditional male breadwinner model less viable for many families.

📜 Legal Changes

Legislation like the Equal Pay Act (1970), Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and more recent equality laws have supported women's rights in the workplace and challenged traditional gender expectations. Improved maternity and paternity provisions have also encouraged more sharing of childcare responsibilities.

💡 Changing Attitudes

Social attitudes have shifted significantly, with greater acceptance of gender equality. The feminist movement has challenged traditional gender roles and younger generations generally hold more egalitarian views about the division of household labour and childcare responsibilities.

Contemporary Patterns

While strictly segregated roles have declined, research shows that household labour is still not equally shared in many UK families:

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that women still do approximately 60% more unpaid work than men in UK households (2020).
Women spend an average of 26 hours per week on unpaid care and housework, compared to 16 hours for men.
Even when both partners work full-time, women typically do more domestic tasks.
Men tend to do more DIY and gardening tasks, while women do more cooking, cleaning and childcare.

Sociologists sometimes describe modern arrangements as "modified segregated roles" where there is more sharing than in the past, but still clear gender patterns in who does what.

Case Study: COVID-19 Impact on Conjugal Roles

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns created a natural experiment in family roles. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (2020) found that mothers were more likely than fathers to have quit or lost their jobs during the pandemic. Among parents who were both working from home, mothers typically spent more time on childcare and homeschooling. However, some families reported that fathers became more involved in domestic life due to working from home, potentially accelerating the trend toward more shared roles.

Evaluating the Concept of Segregated Conjugal Roles

The concept of segregated conjugal roles has been criticised by some sociologists:

❓ Limitations of the Concept

It can oversimplify complex family arrangements
It focuses mainly on heterosexual couples and traditional families
It may not account for cultural variations in family structures
It doesn't fully address the impact of class, ethnicity and other factors
The binary distinction between "segregated" and "joint" roles may be too simplistic

📝 Modern Applications

Despite these criticisms, the concept remains useful for:

Tracking historical changes in family arrangements
Comparing different family structures across cultures
Examining power relationships within families
Understanding how gender expectations shape family life
Analysing the connection between family roles and wider social structures

Summary: Key Points About Segregated Conjugal Roles

Segregated conjugal roles involve clear divisions of labour between partners with minimal overlap
Traditionally, men took instrumental roles (breadwinning) while women took expressive roles (domestic/emotional)
This pattern was dominant in mid-20th century Britain but has declined since
Functionalists saw this arrangement as beneficial for family stability
Feminists criticised it as maintaining patriarchal power and limiting women's opportunities
Economic changes, legal reforms and shifting attitudes have led to more shared roles
Despite changes, research shows that household labour is still not equally shared in many UK families
The concept remains useful for understanding gender dynamics in families, despite some limitations

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