Explain Talcott Parsons’s theory about sex roles in the American kinship system. Consider the extent to which his theory holds true today. Include a brief discussion of how it has been critiqued.
What will be an ideal response?
Ans: Family is a factory of personalities. Women socialized into expressive roles. Men socialized into instrumental roles. Complementary roles are positively functional. Ensure cooperation rather than conflict. Status of family derived from male’s position. Parsons worried that social change in roles could have negative consequences. Critics see Parsons’s work as reinforcing and legitimating traditional gender roles that have both positive functions and problematic dysfunctions. His theories also ignored the power differentials inherent in relationships where one party (the wife) is economically dependent on the other (the husband).
KEY: Learning Objective: 11.2: Apply theoretical perspectives to the study of marriage and the family.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis
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