Sociology

1. i) In mangershelpers households, the mother plans all the childcare and housework while the father assists in doing some of the chores that are traditionally viewed as a mans responsibility. This would include repair and maintenance, taking out the trash or mowing the lawn.  Fathers tend to be prodded into action to do the tasks expected of them rather than them taking the initiative to complete the job.

Where couples shared tasks more equally, either partner would ensure that housework and childcare were completed in a timely manner. Gender differences are more blurred as either parent would do any of the pending tasks. Children in such households treat both parents as equals since there are no defining gender characteristics. In the manager and helper situations, children would approach the parent tasked with childcare duties and seek the assistance of the father when it came to fixing things.

ii) In the manager and helper group, the mother played the role of nurturer while the father was more of a provider. Division of labor in these households created gender differences which became apparent to the children and determined their relationship with either parent. In most cases children were closer to their mothers since they performed a greater percentage of the childcare and nurturing tasks.  Mothers in this category found difficulty sharing authority for managing the household and preferred the men left the task to them

Where couples share the tasks more equally, gender differences were less pronounced and children are emotionally connected to both parents. Either parent would be comfortable doing tasks that need to be accomplished without undue stress or constant reminding. Such couples would have a keen sense of duty which ensures that either one would take the initiative to do housework or attend to childcare matters.  Shared responsibility for managing the home is another characteristic of this setup. Both parents contribute towards making sure childcare duties and housework are attended to.

iii) According to Coltrane, shared responsibilities, especially with respect to childcare, creates emotional bonds between the parent and child. The childs emotional trust of the father increase which augurs well for proper upbringing.  Fathers were able to relate well with their children as opposed to those who performed childcare and housework as helpers. As fathers develop maternal instincts, gender differences are reduced and the number of shared duties increases. This has the effect of making both parents more competent in their parenting roles.

2. Changing roles of the sexes and the need to increase incomes means that most households will have dual wage earners. Top management positions  previously the reserve of men are now open to both sexes and women managers are spending more time at work than at home. For men with less demanding occupations, this development will contribute to them performing most of the childcare and housework duties. 

Traditional views concerning the roles of men and women are changing as the benefits of shared parenting in child upbringing and marriage relations become more apparent. Furthermore, the generation that held conservative attitudes and patriarchal mindsets are fast approaching their twilight years. Their influence on their offspring is diminishing and their views on such issues as female providers for the home are being discarded as old fashioned.

Married couples are awakening to the fact that mothers need help in taking care of the children and doing the housework. With the cost of domestic help beyond the reach of most families, it becomes imperative that both parents share in these duties. The added advantage of improved marital relations and emotional bonding with the child makes it an attractive option to the men. As a result more Canadian families will end up sharing the housework and childcare duties in the immediate future.
I expect that when I get married and start a family, housework and childcare will be a shared responsibility. I have a natural aptitude for cooking and will be very comfortable in the kitchen preparing any meal be it breakfast, lunch or supper. I have little experience in childcare and expect my spouse to train me in this field especially when it comes to taking care of infants. With work-life balance becoming a favored policy towards paid employment I intend to seek employment with a firm that allows me to work from home. This will provide me with ample opportunity to do my share of the housework and bond with my children.

My desire to bring up well balanced children will contribute to my decision to spend not just quality time with them but quantity time as well. I expect them to share their fears, dreams and experiences with me because of the emotional trust that would have been built up over the years. I envisage that sharing the tasks with my spouse will create a certain bond between us and improve our marital relations. In my ideal setup, the only gender differences I see are those brought about by physiological differences rather than those determined by duties.