Paper Summary:

This provides a valid introduction to the feminist perspective on family life, using concepts of conjugal roles, dual-burdens, equal opportunities, and various social policies as evidence to support the feminist viewpoint. It looks at how many feminist sociologists believe that marriage and family life exploits and oppresses women and how the traditional nuclear family, supported by functionalist and New Right sociologists, displays a definitively clear division of labor where women are expected to be housewives allowing the men to work. It also discusses how they perceive the nuclear family to mainly benefit men as women's domestic functions in the home allow men to dominate paid work as well as encouraging a patriarchal ideology.

From the Paper:

"Many feminist sociologists believe that marriage and family life exploits and oppresses women. The traditional nuclear family, supported by functionalist and New Right sociologists, displays a definitively clear division of labor where women are expected to be housewives allowing the men to work. Using this ideology, the female role within the family should be concerned with motherhood and housework as she is biologically best suited to this service, while the male function is to provide and protect the family and to act as a disciplinary role model to his children. Feminist sociologists disagree with this and the view that the nuclear family benefits all in society. They perceive the nuclear family to mainly benefit men as women's domestic functions in the home allow men to dominate paid work as well as encouraging a patriarchal ideology."

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