Q. Assess the view that gender roles and relationships have become more equal in modern family life.
There are many factors that contribute to the validity of the view that gender roles and relationships have become more equal in modern family life. Some of these factors are; the impact of paid work, the family as a body, domestic violence, the domestic division of labour.
It can be argued that gender roles and relations have become more equal, one way this can be seen as though the domestic division of labour. By definition “it is the division of tasks, roles, and duties within the household.” One way this supports the theory of gender roles and relationships have become more equal in modern family life is though society’s change in accepting women as valued members of the work force, as society has become more accepting in the development of females aspirations and careers and this in turn has had to make the family more equal in the roles of the house; since the normal upkeep of the house is not done in the ‘traditional family’ way, everybody in the house must contribute equally. Furthermore it can be argued that Talcott Parsons theory of the male and female of the relationship or family have two roles names instrumental and expressive roles (traditional the man is seen as instrumental and the opposite for the woman) another way it can argued that gender roles and relations have become more equal is through the introduction of equal pay, this does not only affect the family at home as a body but externally (financial) , One way equal pay has made gender roles more symmetrical in modern family life is through the equality in the workplace over women having successful careers paying their way in the family and not just relying on the traditional breadwinner of the house that it normal the man (because of such factors like unequal pay). another way it affects