I. Introduction- In married-couple families, mothers usually do most of the family labor, such as care of children and household tasks. No matter what the family structure, it is believed that women do more family work than men. Gender theory states that male and female characteristics are largely malleable social constructs (Glatz, 2015). The theory argues that single fathers will parent in a “gendered way”, meeting their children’s needs but differently than how a single mother would. So do single fathers do the same household tasks that single mothers do?
II. Purpose of the Research- In the study, mothers and fathers in one-parent families from the 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households were compared on time spent with children
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Data Collection Method- Data collection was measured by an interview as well as a self-administered questionnaire. The first set of dependent variables focused on time spent with children was assessed using four-self report items that asked “How often do you spend time with the children in the following activities?” The four items included: a) in leisure activities away from home (movies, sports, etc.), b) at home working on a project or playing together, c) having private talks, or d) helping with reading or homework. The answers varied from never or rarely (1) to almost every day (6). The second dependent variable, time in household labor was measured by a self-administered questionnaire in which respondents estimated the number of houses per week they usually spend in household tasks. There were nine tasks in total: femine tasks (preparing meals, washing dishes, washing clothes, cleaning house), masculine tasks (outdoor tasks and auto maintenance), and neutral tasks (shopping, paying bills, and driving). The total number of hours in household tasks of each category was summed to see correlation between men and women. Respondents with missing data on all tasks were …show more content…
Measures/Variables- The first of dependent variables focused on time spent with children. The second set of dependent variables focused on time in household tasks. Both dependent variables were measured by a self-administered questionnaire. In one-parent families, characteristics of the children and of the parent may affect the time a parent spends with their children and in household tasks. These variables were controlled in the study. Gender, age, and education (in years) of parents were also controlled. Race was measured with two dummy variables, one for African Americans and the other for Hispanics and other non-Whites. The reference group was non-Hispanic White parents. The presence of daughters and/or sons in each family had no influence so it was dropped from the final analyses. The number of employment hours was measured continuously, as was total household income. Respondents were missing data on income were assigned the median income for their gender and employment status: not employed part time, or full
The concepts that Kathleen Genson discusses reinforces the analysis Kramer presented in Chapter 4 “The Family and Intimate Relationships” of The Sociology of Gender. First and foremost, both authors would agree that family is a structure that institutionalizes and maintains gender norms. Both authors would also agree that “families tend to be organized around factors that the individual members cannot control.” In Genson’s chapter “Dilemmas of Involved Fatherhood,” the most prominent forces are the economy and social expectations, both listed and explained by Kramer. Genson’s explanation of how it is unfeasible for men to withdraw from the workforce and focus more time and energy on being involved fathers is an example of the economic factors.
Often viewed in several different ways, the division of labor of the home is never easy to assign. Willingly taking on their assigned roles, numerous families abide by these assignments, still; other marriages want equality in this division of household chores. Countless of these tasks can be strenuous and demanding. The responsibilities that come with these daily routines can also be life threatening if not carefully performed. A few of the duties in the day-to-day trade of maintaining a household include tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. Division of labor among races is also different. These cultures influence how family roles come about and transpire. First, traditional Mexican American women undertake the
In Letha Scanzoni’s book Men, Women, and Change: A Sociology of Marriage and Family she observes that a wife’s duty was “to please her husband...to train the children so that they would reflect credit on her husband”(205). Alongside the wife’s duties Scanzoni provides the husband’s duty to “provide economic resources”(207).These expectations have long been changed, since then these have become common courtesies. Today, we see less and less of the providing father, homemaking wife and respectable children family structure. We are now seeing what sociologists call the senior-partner/junior-partner structure. Women and mothers are now opting for the choice to work and provide more economic resources for the family. This has changed those expected duties of both men and women in a family scene. A working mother more or less abandons the role of homemaker, to become a “breadwinning” mother, and the father stays his course with his work and provide for the family. Suzanne M. Bianchi in her book Changing Rhythms of American Family Life comments on the effect of mothers working and the time they spend in the home. “Mothers are working more and including their children in their leisure time” (Chapter 10), now that ...
In his essay, published in They Say / I Say, “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All,” Richard Dorment, armed with facts found in surveys of millions of Americans, argues that men fully support their household responsibilities. Over the past 70 years, there has been a significant shift in the work-life balances of both men and women. In that time, men were the breadwinners in America, and that they would do all the work with a woman at home raising the children. This view has changed drastically since the 1960s, as now men and women are both in the workplace and tasked with a balance of work and family-raising. In his essay, Richard Dorment takes on the argument that men don't do their parts equally in their households armed with facts found in surveys of millions of Americans. Although popular belief tends to lean towards a reality
The present structure of the average family in America is changing, mainly due to the growing number of mothers who now work outside the home. The current mark of dual-earner families stands at 64 percent, making it a solid majority today. This alteration of the "traditional" structure of the family is a channel for other changes that may soon occur.
...nder roles that lack this maternal instinct. Culturally fathers are perceived to be the “bread-winners” and be more involved in playing with children, whereas mothers are often involved in the daily care of children, such as feeding and bathing children. Although women are commonly the head of sole-parent families, the Ministry of Social Development state that there is a growing rate of sole-parent fathers accounting for 14% of all sole-parents with dependent children in 1986 rising to 17% in 2006 (2010). It is evident that single-mother parenting is different to single-father parenting; however the rising rate of single-fathers suggests that the stigma of gender roles in sole-parenting is on the rise towards equality.
...’s view also explains the division of labour, as girls are modelling by mothers creating psychological link to mothering, whereas men do not as result of being mothered by women. Nevertheless, such pattern could be eradicated by changing social arrangements; mothers working outside home and fathers doing house tasks.
For example, males are identified as the head of the household and the provider for the family. This concept affects society because women are told that they should be nurtures and should be dedicated to their children. This shows that women were told that they shouldn’t work and should instead focus on being a housewife. This results in the mother and children being dependent on the father. Men are told that they should provide financial support for the family. Also, men are the authority in the household because they discipline their children. Ridgeway says” Gender beliefs are a continual referent for people’s own behavior and sense of identity in the home, and because household tasks themselves carry a gendered connotation, the performance or non-performance of those tasks can be a symbolic gender display for the person “(135).So, gender beliefs effect on how we view gender in the household because it is based on expectations of gender roles. Moreover, gender in household affects household division because women spend more time in the household. For example, since males are the providers they are rarely at home. They are not able to help with household duties. The mother does all the housework in the household. Also .the mother spends her whole time attending to the children and doing chores. Ridgeway says “One way to see the power of gender as an organizing force in the household division of is to examine that extent to which people sex category alone predicts the amount and nature of the household work they do in comparison to their other identities” (139) .Household division the results would show that the women do more household chores than
Natalier, K (2003). ‘I’m Not His Wife’: Doing Gender and doing Housework in the Absence of Women. Journal of Sociology, 39(3) 253-269.
Traditionally the most dominant family form in the United States has been the married couple family. The image of two parents with children living under one roof is the norm for a married couple family. In a married couple family one or both parents work and income levels are gener...
The Family structure has changed significantly in the last fifty years. With higher percentages of marriage ending in divorce, and higher rates of childbearing out of wedlock, single parent families are increasing rapidly. “Seventy percent of all the children will spend all or part of their lives in a single-parent household.” (Dowd) Studies have shown that the children of these families are affected dramatically, both negatively and positively. Women head the majority of single- parent families and as a result, children experience many social problems from growing up without a father. Some of these problems include lack of financial support, and various emotional problems by not having a father around, which may contribute to problems later in life. At the same time, children of single-parent homes become more independent because they learn to take care of themselves, and rely on others to do things for them.
The quantitative analyzed data showing family members within the socioeconomic status. A study of families within the Asian society that are poor and from rural areas compared to upper-middle class families (Kurrien & Dawn Vo, 2004). The sample comprised of different families consisting of three groups, which shared nuclear, and extended family living arrangements. Each group were given a scheduled of activities that were to be performed by the caregiver to a child. Some of these activates included the daily function of a parental role such as, bathing, feeding and transporting to and from school (Kurrien & Dawn Vo, 2004).
In present time dads share with mothers the same level of emotional response to new-born babies and are just as sensitive and affectionate when looking after their babies (Secunda, 1992). Today more than half of all children are raised by single mothers and twenty eight percent of children are raised in single parent homes. Fathers are now the main care givers for children when mothers are working. In thirty percent of dual earner families, it is now the father more than any other individual, who cares for children when the mother is at work. If it proves true that daughters search for romantic partners like t...
Gender roles are extremely important to the functioning of families. The family is one of the most important institutions. It can be nurturing, empowering, and strong. Some families are still very traditional. The woman or mother of the family stays at home to take care of the children and household duties. The man or father figure goes to work so that he can provide for his family. Many people believe that this is the way that things should be. Gender determines the expectations for the family. This review will explain those expectations and how it affects the family.
However, studies have shown that fathers could also be housekeepers. According to Glen Sacks, the author of “Stay at home dads” dispute that, “The freedom to switch gender roles has allowed each of us to gravitate toward what we really want in life” (Sacks 266). Despite that society looks at men as the primary breadwinner of the house, people tend to call men unmanly because of changing gender roles. Exchanging gender roles is beneficial for fathers because it gives them an opportunity to experience the responsibility that mothers have traditionally by taking care of the home. In fact, fathers could also be a positive impact in the family because they continue to be the warden of the house. It also gives them the chance to spend time and create a bond with their children. In today’s society it seems as though men don’t really take on their role of being a father. If fathers get the chance to step into their wife’s shoes, it could give them a possible way to understand the role that women have played for so long. Changing gender roles gives mothers the opportunity to find jobs, develop their interpersonal skills and broaden their horizon rather than go by the stereotypical perception which is cleaning the house, cooking or taking the a child to