Another example is the shifting social attitudes which mean that it is more accepted in society for men to do housework. Young and Wilmot’s give a few other reasons for a symmetrical family. One example is that families are becoming privatised- this means that families are more children cantered and spend more time at home. This privatisation has occurs because the families are more affluent- have more money- and due to geographical mobility- they have less help from nearby family members. On the other hand, another group of sociologists believes that families are not symmetrical.
There is much to say about gender roles and relationships and the view that they have become more equal. Item 2B mentions Gershuny who argues that there is a trend towards greater equality and says that there is often greater equality between the husband and wife IF the wife is in full time employment. His study’s identified a period of ‘lagged adaptation’ which is a time gap between the time when a woman starts paid work and t eh time where her husband increases his domestic activity. Devine would agree with Gershuny in the idea that we are moving towards greater equality but she identifies the fact that even though men are supposedly helping more, it is not enough and domestic labour is still seen as primarily the women’s responsibility.
the man is the breadwinner and the wife is the homemaker and they have separate leisure activities and spend spare time apart. In the study, men were the breadwinners; they played little part in home life and spent their leisure time with work mates, whereas women were homemakers with the responsibility of childcare, but Young and Willmott argued that family is progressing equally for all members as it is becoming more democratic and equal. That the segregated conjugal roles are becoming less common and families are becoming more symmetrical. This is a type of family in which the domestic chores, childcare and paid work roles are split equally between the man and woman also known as Joint Conjugal roles. Women now go out to work whether it is part or full time.
Firstly, whether a family live in a symmetrical family or not will have an effect on the divisions of labour. March of Progress theorists (Liberal Feminists) such as Young and Willmott argue that family life is gradually improving for all its members, becoming more equal and democratic. For example, women now go out to work, just as men now help with housework and childcare. However Radical Feminists reject the ‘March of Progress’ theory, and argue that women remain unequal within the family. Anne Oakley argues that we still live in a patriarchal (male dominated) society, and therefore women occupy a subordinate and dependant role within the family and wider society.
One of these policies is the divorce act 1969; which has made it easier for couples to get divorced. Due to this, marriage has become less sacred which has made the family unit weaker. Couples may get a divorce instead of trying hard in the relationship to make it better. Another law affecting the family is the new deal 1998; which makes it easier for lone mothers to get back into paid work. This was introduced by the Labour party, who Lewis argues have taken on the idea of ‘social investment in children’ seriously and have realised family forms are changing.
This concept is not as true any longer. Many women now are out in the employment field just as the men and many women can actually do the exact same job as men. In today’s world, men seem to be more involved and caring with their families. In today’s society the roles of men and women have changed over time and have become quite similar. Some of the roles between the male and female seem to come from the biological difference just from simply being a male or female when looking at it in a family’s perspective.
Throughout history men are seen as the “strong/tough ones”; the belief is that they should be paid more than women in order to support their families (Loney, 2005). Women often take time off from work to raise their children, which can interfere with their career path. Also, married women with children are more likely to leave their jobs, rather than women who are single and/or without
The effect that this recession had on society is monstrous. It essentially paved the way for female run industries, and shed a new light on what it means to be a man nowadays. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a man wanting to provide for his family, it would almost come as second nature to most people. Statistical information previously stated is evidence in itself to prove the facts that men did have a higher unemployment rate than women, but it is effect on society that became argumentative. Without a doubt, both men and women are equally just as hard working- they aim to achieve the same goals of providing for their family and living a comfortable financially stable life.
His suggestions include the addition of women to the work place, the greater mobility of the nation, the changing family system and the impact on technology. I can see all these view as valid to some extent, if women go out to work they have less time to attend social groups in the evening as many spend this time doing housework, preparing for the day ahead and relaxing. The changing family system, such as fewer marriages more divorces, would have a huge impact on membership of groups, as a single parents’ free time can be completely nonexistent. America is now a more mobile nation, it has become easier to move across states and set up home again somewhere else. Its Putnam suggestion that increasing mobility has depleted social capital, as it takes time to develop roots to a new area.
Marriages in India are more of a family affair, and as youngsters see the way their parent lives, they are more likely to understand that the output given is more stable and successful due to much lower divorce. Arranged marriages have been an integral part of the Indian society since ages past; around 75 percent of Indians, including 82 percent women and 68 percent, are conservative and prefer arranged marriages, according to The Taj Wedding Barometer, a survey conducted by the Taj Group of Hotels. In older times, the bride and the groom were neither asked for their consent, nor were they informed about the partner, as getting married in their religion and caste was more important. India is a home to many religions, and almost all of them preach arranged marriages. Hindus believe that a marriage is based on more than physical or emotional attraction, and at one stage Hindus were strict about arranged marriages where the parent’s decision was final.