Sociology Plus
Head of Household Definition
The term head of household traditionally refers to the senior male within a family unit, often understood in the context of the nineteenth century as the principal earner or ‘breadwinner’. While this designation has historically influenced social research definitions, it is increasingly viewed as an outdated concept given contemporary family diversity. The practice of assigning social class based on the status of the head of household has generated significant controversy regarding the appropriate unit of analysis in sociological studies.
Historical and Traditional Role
Traditionally, the head of household was understood to be the senior male figure, typically the husband or father, who held primary economic responsibility for the family. This role established a framework that has influenced how social structures have been historically measured.
Modern Debates on Attribution
The application of the ‘head of household’ concept in modern contexts is subject to considerable debate concerning gender and class. Critics argue that basing the status of the entire household on the male head implicitly assumes male primacy, which challenges sociological efforts to accurately capture family dynamics. This controversy extends to how social class should be measured: whether it should be ascribed to the household as a whole based on the head’s status, or measured individually for each adult member.
Definitions in Government Surveys
In formal government surveys, definitions of the head of household have varied. These definitions often focus on occupancy, identifying the man who owns or rents the house, or the man residing with the female owner or tenant. Consequently, this framework limits the classification of ‘female-headed households’ to specific scenarios, such as women living alone or single-parent households where the woman is the sole resident.
Implications for Social Analysis
The way the head of household is defined has direct consequences for analysing household situations and policy. For instance, in poverty statistics, there is an assumption that resources are shared equitably within the family—if the head earns sufficient income, the entire household is above the poverty line. However, researchers have challenged this assumption, noting that resource distribution may be unequal, meaning women and children might live below the poverty line even in families deemed adequately resourced by government criteria.