Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

family roles & relationships

FoundationHigherAll Boards

4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

Fastmail

Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: family roles & relationships

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about family roles & relationships. Then check against the key terms: Sociology Exam Tips, UK Context, UK Context. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Sociology Exam Tips, UK Context, UK Context.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: family roles & relationships. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Sociology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Describe Young and Willmott's symmetrical family and evaluate whether it accurately represents modern family life.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about family roles & relationships.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: family roles & relationships

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on family roles & relationships. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Conjugal roles: the roles of husbands and wives within a family. Segregated conjugal roles (Bott): clear division between male (breadwinner) and female (homemaker) roles with separate leisure activities. Joint conjugal roles: couples share tasks and leisure.
Key Fact: Young and Willmott's symmetrical family (1973): the family is becoming more symmetrical - couples share domestic work, decision-making and leisure. They identified three stages: pre-industrial (unit of production), early industrial (segregated roles), symmetrical (joint roles). This change is driven by women working, geographical mobility, and new technology.
Key Fact: Feminist challenge: Oakley (1974) argued the symmetrical family is a myth. Her research found: 72% of husbands had 'no regular domestic duties'; housework and childcare remain overwhelmingly done by women; men may do more visible tasks (DIY, driving) but not routine daily work. The British Social Attitudes survey (2018) shows women still do twice as much housework as men.
Key Fact: The impact of women working: dual-earner families are now the norm (72% of women work). This has increased women's financial independence and bargaining power in the home. However, working women still do most housework - Ferri and Smith called this the 'dual burden' (paid work plus unpaid housework).
Key Fact: Decision-making and money: Pahl found that in dual-earner couples, money management is more equal. However, Vogler found women still manage day-to-day spending while men control major financial decisions. This suggests progress is incomplete - public equality has not translated into full domestic equality.
Sociology Exam Tips: When evaluating family roles, always use specific evidence: statistics on housework time, named studies (Oakley, Young & Willmott, Pahl), and consider whether self-reported equality matches actual behaviour.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: Describe Young and Willmott's symmetrical family and evaluate whether it accurately represents modern family life.

Answer: Young and Willmott: the family is becoming more equal - shared tasks, leisure and decision-making. Three stages led to symmetry: industrialisation, women working, technology. Evaluation: Oakley criticised their methodology (one question about housework was inadequate); women still do most routine housework; the BSA (2018) shows women do twice as much; 'symmetry' may reflect ideology rather than reality.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: family roles & relationships

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: Sociology Exam Tips, UK Context, UK Context. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Q1: Describe Young and Willmott's symmetrical family and evaluate whether it accurately represents modern family life.

Answer: Young and Willmott: the family is becoming more equal - shared tasks, leisure and decision-making. Three stages led to symmetry: industrialisation, women working, technology. Evaluation: Oakley criticised their methodology (one question about housework was inadequate); women still do most routine housework; the BSA (2018) shows women do twice as much; 'symmetry' may reflect ideology rather than reality.

Q2: Explain how feminism has challenged traditional family roles, using evidence.

Answer: Feminism challenged: the housewife role is socially constructed, not natural (Oakley); the family exploits women through unpaid labour (Delphy and Leonard); domestic violence is hidden behind 'private' family walls. Evidence: women do 60%+ of housework even when working full-time; the gender pay gap means women often earn less, reinforcing economic dependence.

Q3: Evaluate whether conjugal roles have become more equal in modern families.

Answer: Evidence for greater equality: more dual-earner couples, men do more childcare than in the 1950s, some couples share tasks equally. Evidence against: women still do majority of housework, the dual burden, men control major decisions, commercialisation of housework (ready meals) masks ongoing inequality. Conclusion: roles have become more equal but full equality has not been achieved - progress is incomplete.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: family roles & relationships

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate the view that conjugal roles have become more equal in modern society. <div class="

A grade 9 response will: describe Young and Willmott's symmetrical family; present Oakley's critique with evidence; discuss the impact of women's employment (dual burden); evaluate using recent evidence (BSA statistics); consider decision-making and money management; conclude: conjugal roles have become more equal than in the 1950s but full equality has not been achieved. Progress is uneven - some couples are more equal than others, and structural factors (gender pay gap, workplace culture) continue to disadvantage women in both public and private spheres.

Exam Tips: Young and Willmott: roles becoming SYMMETRICAL (equal). Oakley: this is a MYTH - women still do most housework. | Dual burden = paid work + housework. Triple shift = paid work + housework + emotional work. | Progress is incomplete: women work more but still do most domestic labour. Public equality > domestic equality.
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: Men and women now have completely equal roles in the family because most women work. Correct: While women's employment has increased (72% work), this has created the dual burden rather than equality. The BSA (2018) shows women do twice as much housework as men even when working full-time. Men's contribution has increased mainly in visible, intermittent tasks (DIY, driving children) rather than routine daily work (cooking, cleaning, laundry). Women's employment has changed family roles significantly, but full equality has not been achieved.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how family roles & relationships connects to another Sociology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of family roles & relationships
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in family roles & relationships?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)