Historically, family was defined as married partners and children residing in a household.

Over time there is no doubt that there has been a shift in the societal definition of families to include single parents, biracial couples, blended families, biologically unrelated individuals living cooperatively, and gay and lesbian couples, among others. The perspective taken with this case is that in spite of this diversity of family forms found in contemporary society, families share common tasks that they must execute. nother fre!uently used in understandind the word family is structural definition define family as two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption "Ooms and #reister, $%&&'. This definition broadens the scope by counting as family people who do not live together, but are related biologically or through legal contracts. (et, though this definition is more inclusive, some would contend it still excludes some arrangements that many might recogni)e as legitimate families. *or example, long+term foster families are not related by birth, marriage, or adoption, yet carry out many family functions over a significant period of time. ,oth these structural definitions exclude communal living arrangements and gay and lesbian couples

-ender refers to the array of socially constructed roles and relationships, personality traits, attitudes, behaviours, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a differential basis. .hereas biological sex is determined by genetic and anatomical characteristics, gender is an ac!uired identity that is learned, changes over time, and varies widely within and across cultures. -ender is relational and refers not simply to women or men but to the relationship between them" #anta)is, /001' . -ender refers to the economic, social and cultural attributes and opportunities associated with being male or female at a particular point in time ".orld Health Organi)ation, /00$ -ender is a pivotal aspect of family relationships. The family is a domain where une!ual gender relationships between men and women are systematically created and reproduced. s a social institution, the family, through its distribution of resources, division of labour, and perceptions about gender identity, reinforces a hierarchical relationship between men and women in which

men are privileged. On the one hand, the family is an important interactive arena for examining how people produce and do gender, and how gender strategies are created in everyday life. On the other hand, gender is a tool for dissecting the structure of family, its processes, and the outcomes of interactions between its members. This part explains the relationship between gender and family and how the two goes together. 2t highlights cultural and national similarities and differences in gender and family relationships, the diversities in state responses to the emerging challenges on gender and family relationships, and the rapid development of a globali)ed discourse of gender e!uality that is based on calls for universal human rights, on blurring the public and private divide and on challenging the boundaries between family and society lthough there is a division of labor in human affairs between -enders, but in a families the issue of gender remain of very important as it create effectiveness in daily family care. There are changing family expectations, which are reflected in somewhat different gender roles at different times. ,efore, fathers were employed out of the home, and mothers tended to the household. That meant not only housekeeping but taking primary responsibility for child upbringing. (es still things have changed but omen still have primary responsibility for the proper maintenance of the home and the welfare of the children. 2f both parents work, for instance, it is more often the mother who takes off time to bring a sick child to the doctor3unless the father4s schedule is much more flexible. 5ost women do the cooking and cleaning. 5ost men do the repairs. 5en are likely to assemble the furniture6 women are likely to find themselves with the task of cleaning it. normally it4s a men who are responsible with all muscular work in a family like cars, hi+fi systems, appliances and so on but women tend to be in charge of decorating the house and making other purchases for the home7 choosing drapes and carpets, and, of course, making sure they are clean and cared for properly. .here a family lives is still more likely to depend on where the husband works, rather than where the woman works. The man is likely to be better paid. 2f someone tosses a ball around with the kids in a family, it is likely to be their father. 2f the kids need to be driven to activities, it

is usually the mother who does the driving. 8he is also likely to be the one buying clothes for them. 8ocial arrangements, such as dinner with friends, are likely to be managed by the wife. .ives are more likely to initiate discussions about planned vacations. ll sorts of little tasks fall to one or another of a family almost by chance and habit. The husband might take out the garbage, do the barbecue and carry packages into the house. The wife might dress the children, make arrangements with the handyman, and call family members. 9ormally in a family no one is responsible for all kind of decisions. -ender roles are shifting and complicated, as described above. One person can be the final word in one sort of issue, like finances, and have little to say about other matters, such as dealing with the children. 8till, there are families whose friends will agree that one person, or the other, is clearly the boss. :sually, in these cases it is simply that one person feels more strongly about certain things than the other, or is by temperament more passive than the other. 2f that person makes most of the decisions in family matters, it does not mean that the other person has a lower status. These roles can change, anyway, in the event of illness or some other family emergency. The individual and more or less arbitrary division of labor in a family is not likely to undermine its success. s is always the case, the success of a family will depend primarily on mutual respect and affection of both members regardless of the gender 2n concluding the shape of the family is changing across the world and it is no longer appropriate or constructive to view family as one+dimensional. *amilies are diverse and shared experience, acceptance of difference and respect and are key values in any progressive society. -ender is a social construct, it is used to explain and ;ustify mens dominance over women across all dimensions of society. .omen are no more inclined or able to cook, clean and care than men are to protect, provide and punish. <vidence suggests neglible differences between the sexes outside of physiological. -ross /00=. There have been many positive moves towards e!uali)ing the position of men and women through legislation and policy in all spheres of public life, however change appears much slower

with regard to family life. 8ex role stereotyping is particularly entrenched in the private domain. 2t is time for individuals and institutions to embrace and support diversity in family life for the benefit of all.

$. -ross, >. /00= Psychology ?ondon. Hodder and 8taughton /. #anta)is,@. nd >uspini, <. @ited in #anta)is, @. -ordon, A. nd ?evitas, >. "<ds' /001 Poverty and Social Exclusion in Britain-The Millenium Survey. ,ristol. #olicy #ress B. Ooms,?.,. and #reister,@.*. "#ost' 5odern *amilies @ited in >oopnarine,C.?. and -eilen,:.#. Families in Global Perspective.:8 . llyn and ,acon