Which statement best captures Edgell's 1980 finding on women's decision-making within households?

Which statement best captures Edgell's 1980 finding on women's decision-making within households?

• A. Women had sole responsibility only in relatively unimportant areas
• B. Men had final say on moving house
• C. Decisions were always joint
• D. Women had final say on all major decisions

Answer: (A)

Edgell shows a gendered pattern in who makes decisions, tied to how important the decisions are. In his study of middle-class households, major financial or long-term choices tend to be controlled by men, some important matters are negotiated or shared, and the decisions left to women are the smaller, everyday, private items. So the statement that best captures this is that women have sole responsibility only in relatively unimportant areas. It highlights that women’s decision-making is concentrated in the least important matters, while men hold sway over the more significant ones, with some sharing in between. The other options miss this overall pattern: major decisions aren’t universally made by women, and not all decisions are always joint or always controlled by men.

Edgell shows a gendered pattern in who makes decisions, tied to how important the decisions are. In his study of middle-class households, major financial or long-term choices tend to be controlled by men, some important matters are negotiated or shared, and the decisions left to women are the smaller, everyday, private items. So the statement that best captures this is that women have sole responsibility only in relatively unimportant areas. It highlights that women’s decision-making is concentrated in the least important matters, while men hold sway over the more significant ones, with some sharing in between. The other options miss this overall pattern: major decisions aren’t universally made by women, and not all decisions are always joint or always controlled by men.