Roles and Relationships within the Family

Traditional Gender Roles in the Family

Patriarchy - From a feminist perspective, the family serves to perpetuate male dominance, or patriarchy, through the socialisation of patriarchal norms and values.
Instrumental and expressive roles - According to Talcott Parsons, men typically perform instrumental roles (i.e., work-oriented tasks, or the ‘breadwinner’) while women perform expressive roles (i.e., emotional and nurturing tasks).
Joint conjugal roles - Willmott and Young argue that families are becoming more symmetrical with both partners fulfilling duties around the house and in childcare. This challenges the traditional division of labour.

Changing Gender Roles in the Family

Dual burden - Despite greater economic equality, women often still shoulder a ‘dual burden’ of paid work and unpaid domestic work, challenging the notion of symmetry within modern couples.
The impact of feminism - The feminist movement has challenged traditional roles and encouraged changes with more women taking on instrumental roles and men participating in expressive roles.
Cultural diversity - Cultural differences can contribute to variations in family roles and relationships, causing different interpretations and distribution of roles within the family.

Importance of Children in Family Relationships

Child-centred families - Families in developed nations are becoming increasingly child-centred with increased focus on children’s needs and well-being, often leading to the cultivation of strong bonds between parents and children.
Fertility trends - Fertility decisions and trends play important roles in shaping families and relationships, with people often delaying parenthood or reducing number of children due to economic or lifestyle considerations.

Power Relations within the Family

Marxist perspective - From a Marxist viewpoint, family serves as an institution that reinforces and supports class inequalities, with power relations reflecting broader societal power structures.
Domestic Violence - Power imbalances within the family can sometimes manifest as domestic violence, highlighting the importance of addressing power relations within the family.

Impact of Ageing Population on Family Roles and Relationships

Elderly care - With an ageing population, care for the elderly becomes a significant issue affecting family roles and dynamic.
Sandwich generation - This refers to individuals responsible for raising their own children and caring for their ageing parents, representing a change in family structures and relationships.