Gender, age and the experience of family life: Practice Questions

According to Talcott Parsons, which role is typically performed by the male in a nuclear family to ensure its effective functioning?

According to Pahl and Vogler, which system of money management is characterized by the husband giving his wife a set amount of money for household expenses while keeping the rest for himself?

Philippe Ariès argued that the modern concept of childhood is a social construction. What was his primary evidence for the status of children in the Middle Ages?

What sociological term describes a family where the needs, interests, and welfare of children are the primary focus of the household?

How did Ann Oakley criticize Willmott and Young’s concept of the symmetrical family?

According to Talcott Parsons, what is meant by the instrumental role within the nuclear family?

Explain the concept of the triple shift and identify the three types of labor it involves.

In what way does the 'dark side' of the family perspective critique the functionalist view of gender roles and the experience of family life?

Analyze the social construction of childhood by comparing the status of children in pre-industrial societies with their status in contemporary child-centred societies.

(a) Define the term child-centredness in the context of contemporary family life.
(b) Discuss three social or economic factors that have contributed to the rise of the child-centred family in many societies.