Title: Roles Within the Family - HealthyChildren.org
Headings: Roles Within the Family
Family Life
Roles Within the Family

Content: Sometimes they depend on gen­der. In patriarchal societies such as ours, men have traditionally had power over women, including within the family. Traditionally, fathers have been the providers and authority figures, but while they may be the final decision­makers, they often have assumed only limited functions beyond that in the family. Mothers have been the caretakers, responsible for the emotional side of the family; they have kept the family together and functioning smoothly. What this means is that mothers and fathers are likely to hold different posi­tions in the family hierarchy, that mothers take primary responsibility and that fathers may have only partial responsibility for day-to-day parental deci­sions. Today, however, there are challenges to this traditional gender-based struc­ture. In many families both fathers and mothers are bringing home paychecks. And while women still seem to shoulder the larger share of responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the family, more fathers are assuming greater roles in child-raising and household duties. It is useful to consider what roles each family member takes within the fam­ily, and whether everyone is satisfied with the current arrangement.