Firstly, whether a family live in a symmetrical family or not will have an effect on the divisions of labour. March of Progress theorists (Liberal Feminists) such as Young and Willmott argue that family life is gradually improving for all its members, becoming more equal and democratic. For example, women now go out to work, just as men now help with housework and childcare. However Radical Feminists reject the ‘March of Progress’ theory, and argue that women remain unequal within the family. Anne Oakley argues that we still live in a patriarchal (male dominated) society, and therefore women occupy a subordinate and dependant role within the family and wider society.
Abigail Adams was one of the first women to question male superiority and the importance of laws for women which ultimately led to establishment of Women’s Rights. For women in America life in the early 18th century was associated with domestic activities. They were required to take care of household and raise the children while men were expected to support family with food and other common needs in order to survive. Even women who belonged to the upper class and had maids to help around the house were still expected to stay at home and be by the side of their husbands when necessary. Marriages were usually based on economic partnership and cultural believes.
Functionalist Murdock suggested as children we are socialised into societies shared norms and values and he believed that males provide the economic roles and females provided the expressive role. Therefore it is natural for women to play the expressive role in the household looking after the family’s emotional needs. However, radical feminist Ann Oakley argues that the role of the housewife is a social construction and isn’t linked to the female role. The housewife role makes sure that women stay inferior to men making it difficult for them have careers. Women carry out the triple burden in the household; the domestic labour, emotional labour, and paid labour.
Due: 18th February 2011 How far do sociologists agree that parental attitudes determine working class attainment? The debate outlined above suggests that there are two sides to the statement. There are those who will agree such as Cultural Deprivation Theorists, who will believe that parental attitudes will very much determine attainment of people in the working class.However sociologists such as Material deprivation theorists believe that other factors contribute to working class attainment. To adress this issue i will be looking at both sides of the argument. Sociologists like Cultural deprivation theorists would agree with this statement.They believe that parental interests and attitudes to education influence working class childrens' attainment levels, this can be positive or negative influence.They would argue that children look upon their parents as role models, .When they see their parents act in a negative way regarding rules, school and work, they often follow in their footsteps.
An external factor is a factor in which affects the education system from outside for example home and family. Sociologist argue that the difference between the achievement of each gender is through several external factors , in which are causing girls to achieve better than boys within school, these consist of ; The impacts of feminist; since the 1960’s the feminist movement have challenged the typical stereotype of woman’s roles within society as a mother alongside being a housewife. Feminist still believe they have not yet achieved full equality, however have improved woman’s rights and opportunity’s through the use of laws, as well as this feminism have largely raised expectations and self-esteems of woman. An example of this would be through McRobbie; she took a comparison of girl magazines in the 1970’s and 1990’s. In the 1970’s magazines like Jackie Largely promoted marriage and being a housewife, whereas in the 1990’s magazines took a different approach of personal choice and independence of woman.
With the younger couple I should them how the older couple acted, after doing this I got their opinion of how they would act in the same situation. When asked that you could see the difference because the younger female said she would not get everything the male asked for. Showing the difference in the ways the two generations work. From the observation I found that the way a person was raised is a key into how they treat things. In a patriarchal system, we might well anticipate that women would be required
Even though current society has changed and gender roles are no longer distinguished. However, people are doing gender role unconsciously or as a norm. I found almost all unchanged gender role through this observation. The females are still doing housewives role. Some women are doing this with their jobs, and others are doing housewife role.
Power-control theory beliefs that young men in patriarchal families will be likely than their sisters to commit crimes. So in more egalitarian families, there should be more equal rates of crime for boys and girls. Linking to changes in the structure of the American family could be speculated to the increasingly egalitarian family structures. Where fathers presumably pay more attention to their children and boys are therefore more controlled than they would be in a more traditional patriarchal family where the father works and the mother cares for the family. 2.
It is said that individuals who have these traits may have parents with the same traits. But not all individuals who turn to crime are from broken home homes, some are from homes with supportive parents. Parenting affects a child’s temperament and is inter-related in important ways to include harsh physical discipline, parental supervision, and antisocial attitudes. Parenting plays an important role in the development of antisocial behavior. At an early age boys tend to be more aggressive than girls, due to the ability to socialize being easier for girls than for boys thereby, creating gender difference in antisocial behavior.
While parents cannot determine whether their children have sex, use contraception, or become pregnant, the quality of their relationships with their children can make a real difference (Miller, 1998). The family unit must be restored. Parental influence focusing on the issues surrounding adolescent sexuality may help many teens from becoming parents at an early age. A variety of factors contribute to teenage pregnancy. The breakdown in American society includes moral and ethical issues.