This paper attempts to outline an argument that combines a non functionalist vision of the working-class family under capitalism with a discus sion of the sexual division of labor and the related subordination of women with in working-class families. It does this by posing the following questions: Is there a sexual division of labor peculiar to capitalism? What role do protective legisla tion and struggles for a family wage play in creating that division of labor? What are its effects on women? How can we understand the relations that define work ing class families? The answers to these questions are framed in the light of an examination of the existing debate in the literature.
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