Gershuny's Possibility Of The Proof For Equality In Relationships

Sociology
In the world of sociology there are a lot proof for and against the equality in relationships. In this essay I look at the reasons for and against in true depth. This wills involve a number of sociologist and I will use their research and proof to determine what they have found.
Young and Wilmot research and views support that relationships are becoming equal. Young and Wilmot take a march of progress view of the history of the family. They see family life as gradually improving for all its members. Becoming more equal and democratic. They argue that there is a trend away from segregated conjugal roles and towards joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family. The symmetrical family us when the roes of the husbands and wives although not identical, are now much more similar. The reasons for this is because women now go out to work (most of the time part-time), men now help with house work and childcare, couples are now more home- centred. This however is more common in young couples.
Gershuny research and views support that relationships are becoming more equal.
Gershuny believes in a trend towards equality view. This means that he sees that women working full- time is leading to a more equal division of labour in the home. Gershuny has used research and evidence to back these points and views up. He found that wives who did not go to work did 83% of the housework and even wives who worked part time still did 82%. He found that the longer the wife had been in paid work the more the husband is likely to do. This means as women’s earning power increases relative to men’s. So men do more in the
home.
Hilary silver and Juliet schor research and views support that relationships are becoming more equal. Silver and schor they see two major economic development that reduce the burden of housework on women, housework has become commercialised, good and services housewives back in the day had to produce themselves are now mass-produced and supplied by supermarket ( e.g. fast food outlets, freezers, microwaves ovens, ‘ready meals’ all reduce the amount of labour usually done by women. Also women working again meaning they can afford these goods and service. This means that the burden of housework on women has decreased. Schor even goes far as to say the death of the housewife role.
However there is also evidence against relationships becoming more equal. Ann Oakley who’s research and views goes against relationships becoming more equal. She believes that Young and Wilmot’s view that the family is now symmetrical family, and more equal is exaggerated. What she means by this is that she found that there is some evidence of husbands helping in the home, but no evidence of a trend towards symmetry. In her research only 15% of husbands had a high level of participation in housework, and only 25% had a high level of participation in childcare. This is because husbands are more likely to share in childcare than housework, and only in more pleasurable aspects.
Ann Oakley also had a view of the rise of the housewife. She describes how the house wife has become the dominant role for married women. She sees that housewife was socially constructed, rather than a natural role. Also women who work is usually an extension of the housewife role for example cleaner.
Mary Boulton research views go against relationships becoming more equal. She argues that young and Wilmot exaggerated men’s contribution by looking at the tasks involved in childcare than responsibilities. It is always the mothers who are responsible for the child’s wellbeing.