How have the roles of parents and children within the family changed?
The changing roles and relationships within the family: conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour, whether roles are becoming more equal, and the changing position of children and family leisure time.
A focused answer on roles and relationships in the family for WJEC GCSE Sociology: conjugal roles, the domestic division of labour, whether roles are becoming more equal, and the changing position of children.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the roles and relationships within the family and how they have changed. You need to explain conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour (who does the housework, childcare and paid work), discuss whether roles are becoming more equal, and describe the changing position of children and family leisure time. The key skill is to weigh the evidence that roles are more equal against the feminist argument that they are not.
Conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour
Have roles become more equal?
The changing position of children
Try this
Q1. Explain the difference between segregated and joint conjugal roles. [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Segregated conjugal roles are clearly separate male and female roles, such as the man as breadwinner and the woman as homemaker, while joint conjugal roles are shared more equally between the couple.
Q2. Explain what feminists mean by the "dual burden". [Short explanation]
- Cue. The dual burden is the feminist argument that women now do paid work outside the home but still carry out most of the housework and childcare as well, so they carry two burdens and roles within the family are not truly equal.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC (Component 1)2 marksExplain what is meant by 'conjugal roles'.Show worked answer →
A short knowledge question (AO1). Reward a clear definition with development.
Definition. Conjugal roles are the roles played by a couple, in particular how they divide housework, childcare and paid work.
Development. They can be segregated (clearly separate male and female roles) or joint (shared more equally).
Top marks. A precise definition plus the segregated and joint distinction earns both marks.
WJEC (Component 1)8 marksDiscuss the view that roles within the family have become more equal.Show worked answer →
A discuss question (AO1, AO2 and evaluation). Reward both sides and a judgement.
The case for more equality. More women work, conjugal roles are more joint, and many fathers are more involved in childcare than in the past.
The case against. Feminists point to the "dual burden", where women do paid work and still most of the housework and childcare, so roles are not yet equal.
Judgement. Roles have become more equal than in the past, but inequality remains, so the change is real but incomplete.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Sociology (Wales) specification (C200QS) — WJEC (2017)