What greater insights into family dynamics might be gained from studying the ideology behind gender role specialization from a sociological viewpoint

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Sociology

Document 1

He substantially contributed to the study of the family by recognizing the relationship between external social conditions and the organization of family life. By specializing in their roles, men can lead not only in the family but also in their workplaces by devoting more hours to their careers. Women concentrate on the internal affairs and domestic work. However, Parsons overlooked the restrictions of the local role since not all women were comfortable with internal roles all the times. Because they were restricted to domestic activities, increased depression and they had to the full depend on their husbands economically. Parsons and Bales's state also discuss the adult female role. Saying that women employment escalated in the 1960’s, however, most women in the workforce are either divorced, widowed or single. Parsons and Bales characterize functions of the family as a social group that children become committed to or dependent and regulates personality of both adults about extended family members.

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In the nuclear family main roles are differentiated from each other by criteria of generation and sex. According to Parsons and Bales, gender role specialization would be the best way to organize a family because it maintains family stability at the same time enabling the family to perform its primary functions of socialization and reproduction. However, the firstborn kid deserves respect form the younger siblings. Gender roles help stabilize adult’s relations. They define the role of everyone, adults know the part to play in the family, as a result, they can co-exist with each by being responsible and helping one another. Parsons described that the gender norms in the 1950’s were the cultural trend that began in the 1850’s. He believed that family adaptation to industrial development caused the emergence of this gender norms.

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They feel less confident since their role as the family provider is overtaken by the woman. According to Coontz (1988), industrialization contributed to changes in the family organization. They include separation of home and work, a decrease in marital fertility and extended residence of children in their parent’s homes. Balancing is a social policy change that contributes to this problem. It is quite challenging for one spouse to perform more than one act in the family and is afraid to seek help from his spouse to avoid making him inferior. When the man feels the woman is earning too much and is the breadwinner of the family they tend to feel insecure. They are forced to perform housework which according to them is not right. To avoid shame and save their ego some opt for divorces.

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Nina outshines Peter in the financial muscle, and they have issues with the second shift issues. Nina is afraid to ask Peter for help in second shift work; she is an afraid man. In conclusion, gender role specialization is a major concern in the day today family. The American family of today the family is dependent on its own, rarely will you find a family raising a kid from another family. Through gender roles, the family is organized. The man rules the family, he disciplines the kids and directs the woman. The woman is the second, she does the house roles and takes care of the kids.

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