Citation

Poeschl G. Soc. Personal Psychol. Compass 2007; 1(1): 557-571.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Blackwell Publishing, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00026.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

After retracing the origins of traditional family organization and describing the present-day distribution of tasks in occidental societies, this paper presents results from studies on prevalent explanations for the unequal family practices that highlight the simultaneous effects of the trend toward equality and the pressure toward conformity in the family organization. It analyzes work undertaken in the distributive justice framework, which suggests that women's wants and values and their readiness to accept justifications for unequal practices contribute, more than social comparison processes, to the maintenance of the status quo. The complexity of family power is described and spouses’ motivation for power is looked at, as well as its possible implications for the distribution of family tasks and the perception of inequalities as fair. The consequences of the traditional family organization for the maintenance of the asymmetry between men and women in society are highlighted and suggestions for future research proposed.