Conjugal Role Relationships: Understanding the Domestic Division of Labour
When we look at families, one of the most important things to understand is how couples share (or don't share) household tasks and responsibilities. This is what sociologists study when they examine the domestic division of labour.
Key Definitions:
- Conjugal role relationships: The roles performed by husbands and wives (or partners) in a relationship and how these roles are shared.
- Domestic division of labour: How housework, childcare and other household tasks are divided between family members.
- Traditional roles: When tasks are clearly separated by gender - men as breadwinners, women as homemakers.
- Symmetrical family: When partners share household tasks more equally and both may work outside the home.
👩🏠 Traditional Division of Labour
In traditional families, roles were clearly divided:
- Men: Breadwinners who worked outside the home
- Women: Homemakers responsible for housework and childcare
- Clear separation between 'instrumental' (male) and 'expressive' (female) roles
- Based on idea that men and women have 'natural' roles
👪 Symmetrical Family
In modern 'symmetrical' families, roles are more shared:
- Both partners may work outside the home
- Household tasks more equally divided
- Joint decision-making
- Less rigid gender expectations
- Term coined by Young and Willmott (1973)
Historical Changes in Domestic Roles
Family roles have changed significantly over the past century. Before the 1950s, most families followed a traditional pattern. Since then, several factors have contributed to changing domestic arrangements:
👩💼 Women's Employment
More women in paid work means less time for housework and a need to renegotiate domestic tasks. Around 75% of UK mothers now work outside the home.
📝 Changing Attitudes
Feminist ideas and changing social attitudes have challenged traditional gender roles. Most people now believe in equality between partners.
💻 Technology
Labour-saving devices (washing machines, microwaves, etc.) have reduced the time needed for housework, making it easier to combine work and home life.
Key Research on Domestic Division of Labour
Young and Willmott: The Symmetrical Family (1973)
This famous study suggested that families were becoming more 'symmetrical' (equal) in how they shared tasks. They claimed that:
- Men were doing more housework and childcare than before
- Women were more likely to work outside the home
- Decision-making was becoming more shared
- Family roles were becoming less segregated
They believed this change was happening across society, creating a 'march of progress' towards more equal families.
Case Study Focus: Ann Oakley's Critique
Feminist sociologist Ann Oakley challenged Young and Willmott's optimistic view. Her research in the 1970s found:
- Women still did 70-80% of all housework, even when employed full-time
- Men 'helped' rather than equally shared responsibilities
- Women felt housework was their responsibility
- Men typically did more enjoyable tasks (like playing with children) rather than routine chores
Oakley concluded that the 'symmetrical family' was largely a myth and that domestic labour remained highly gendered.
Modern Research: Has Anything Changed?
Recent studies show a complex picture:
📅 Time Use Studies
UK time-use surveys show:
- Women still do approximately 60% of housework on average
- Men do more than in the past, but inequality persists
- Women spend about 26 hours per week on average on housework and childcare, compared to 16 hours for men
- The gap is narrowing but still significant
🚀 The 'Second Shift'
Sociologist Arlie Hochschild found that many women face a 'second shift':
- Work a paid job during the day
- Come home to do most household tasks
- Results in women working the equivalent of an extra month per year
- Creates stress and inequality in relationships
Sociological Perspectives on Domestic Labour
Different Ways of Understanding Domestic Roles
📖 Functionalist View
Functionalists like Parsons argue that traditional roles are 'natural' and help families function well. Men take 'instrumental' roles (providing) while women take 'expressive' roles (nurturing). This creates stability but ignores power imbalances.
✊ Feminist View
Feminists see the unequal division of housework as evidence of patriarchy (male power). They argue that unpaid domestic work benefits men and capitalism, while exploiting women's labour. This work is often invisible and undervalued.
💰 Marxist View
Marxists argue that women's unpaid domestic work benefits capitalism by reproducing the workforce at no cost to employers. Women maintain the home, raise future workers and care for current workers, all for free.
Factors Affecting the Division of Labour
How domestic tasks are shared varies between families. Several factors influence this:
🔮 Social Class
Research suggests class differences in how tasks are shared:
- Middle-class couples often express more egalitarian attitudes
- Working-class families may have more traditional divisions in practice
- However, middle-class men may work longer hours, limiting their domestic contribution
- Economic necessity often drives working patterns more than ideology
🌎 Ethnicity and Culture
Cultural backgrounds influence domestic arrangements:
- Some cultures emphasise more traditional gender roles
- Extended family structures may distribute tasks differently
- Migration can disrupt traditional patterns
- Generational differences often emerge in immigrant families
Case Study: COVID-19 and Domestic Labour
The COVID-19 pandemic created a natural experiment in domestic roles:
- UK studies found that during lockdowns, both men and women increased their housework and childcare
- However, women still took on the majority of additional childcare and homeschooling
- Some families developed more equal arrangements when both parents worked from home
- The pandemic highlighted the continuing inequality in domestic labour
- Women were more likely to reduce working hours or leave jobs to manage increased domestic responsibilities
This shows how even in modern Britain, domestic responsibilities still fall disproportionately on women during times of crisis.
Conclusion: Are We Moving Toward Equality?
The evidence suggests a mixed picture:
- Men do more domestic work than in previous generations
- The gap between men and women's contribution has narrowed
- However, women still do the majority of housework and childcare
- Change is happening, but more slowly than many predicted
- Attitudes have changed faster than actual behaviour
Understanding the domestic division of labour helps us see how gender roles are changing in society, but also how persistent inequalities remain. For your GCSE exam, remember to use specific studies and evidence when discussing these patterns.