Feminist Views of Families
Sociology: AQA GCSE, topic 2.5.3
Feminist Views of Families
Feminists believe that conjugal roles aren’t equal. Feminists argue that steps towards men undertaking the expressive role are small and that women still do most of the housework and childcare.
Radical feminists
- Delphy and Leonard are feminists who argue that women are exploited by men.
- They explain this by acknowledging that family is male-dominated and therefore men have more power in decision-making.
- As a result, women might suffer from the dual burden (doing household chores and paid job) or the triple shift (doing housework, paid work and offering emotional support or caring for the elderly).
Key Study
- 'Familiar Exploitation' is a key study published by feminists Delphy and Leonard in 1992.
- The study says that:
- Men benefit from women’s labour.
- Family is responsible for perpetuating patriarchy.
- Women are oppressed because they have to carry out tasks at home after coming back from work (dual burden).
- All the while, men don’t make equal contributions to domestic chores.
Evaluating feminist ideas
- According to functionalists, feminists ignore the positive aspects of the family.
- According to functionalists, feminists don’t recognise that there might be women who enjoy being housewives and caregivers.
Test yourself on Feminist Views of Families
In which year did feminists Delphy and Leonard publish 'Familiar Exploitation'?