Family Matters
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)
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Part 3
Family: Roles and Stereotypes
Family Matters
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)
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Family: Roles and Stereotypes
The doctor as a housewife
In some countries, women stay at home as
housewives after they married.
Female
doctors do the same. So you may find doctors
shopping in the market, taking care of babies,
cooking in the kitchen and cleaning house.
The engineer as a “house-husband”
In Hong Kong, the economic difficulties of
last few years have driven many people out
of work. Some of them are male engineers
who used to construct roads, bridges and
buildings. Now, they stay home and work
as “house-husbands” while their wives take
up jobs outside.
Some people believe that husbands should have salaried jobs while wives
should stay at home as housewives. This idea is common with the media, e.g.,
television, newspapers and magazines (especially the advertisements), comic books,
story books, and school textbooks.
Family Matters
__________________ (
)
________
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Study the following pictures and take note of how they present the roles of husband
and wife.
3
1
2
5
7
4
6
9
8
10
Family Matters
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Role
When you are said to have a role in a situation or in society, it means
you have been given a specific position or function within it.
i. Which picture(s) imply the wife’s role as
-
houseworker
2,6
-
carer of children
1,4,5,7,8
-
holder of full-time job
/
-
children’s playmate
/
ii. Which picture(s) imply the husband’s role as
-
houseworker
/
-
carer of children
/
-
holder of full-time job
10
-
children’s playmate
3,9
iii. Do you think that family roles should be fixed, e.g. wives stay at home to do
housework while husbands take up full-time jobs? Why?
Social and cultural factors to be considered:
- freedom of people to choose their role in a family
- social acceptability
- increase of education level of women
- impact on family members
- traditional view on the family roles of male and female
Family Matters
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)
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iv. In the following pictures, Mr. Chan is a “house-husband” while his wife, Mrs.
Chan, has a full-time job. Today, his neighbour, Mrs. Kim, asked him to look
after her daughter for a while.
v.
Imagine that Mr. Chan is your neighbour. What would you think of him?
Do you think the idea of “house-husband” is acceptable to most people in Hong Kong?
(No standard answers )
Factors to be considered:
- society’s attitude towards “house-husband”
- traditional views of “House-husband” in Chinese society
- many men have been driven out of work due to economic difficulties in
recent years
Stereotype
Husbands should go to work while wives should stay at home
and take care of the family. This is a stereotype.
Family Matters
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)
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Group discussion
Is it good to fix the roles of “husbands” and “wives”? The following words may help
your discussion:
freedom, ability, talent, human nature,
equality, stability, peace, tradition
 List 2 reasons why your group thinks it is good.
- It creates a stable and peaceful environment for the family.
- Fixed roles are traditional practices in Chinese society.
 List 2 reasons why your group thinks it is bad.
- People should have freedom and equal rights to choose their role in a family.
- Both male and female have the ability and talent to cope with either role.
 What do you think personally?
(No standard answers)
What have you learned?
You are able to
1. understand that there are stereotypes for “husbands”
and “wives”;
2. realize that family roles can and do change.
Family Matters
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)
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Homework
Collect 3 newspaper or magazine advertisements which bear on the roles of
husbands and/or wives.
No standard answer
Stick the advertisements in the following space, label them pictures a, b, and c, and
complete the table on the next page.
No standard answers
Family Matters
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)
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(Refer to example on page 20.)
Picture
Material collected
Picture 1 on
p.20
e.g. picture 1
Story book: 圖畫故事精選
25
Role described
the wife as houseworker
a
No standard answers
No standard answers
No standard answers
No standard answers
No standard answers
No standard answers
b
c
Family Matters
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)
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Part 4
Your view on roles and stereotypes
Family Matters
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)
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Your view on stereotyped family roles
1.
Do you agree with the following statements? Please put a  in the appropriate
box.
Agree Disagree
a. Wives should do more housework than husbands do.


b. Wives should do housework after a day’s work outside the


c. The housework done by wives should not be paid.


d. A wife will be happier if she does not go out to work.


e. The family suffers when the wife has a full-time job.


f. Wives can do a better job than husbands in looking after






home.
children.
g. Wives can do a better job than husbands in disciplining
children.
h. Wives can do a better job than husbands in helping with
children’s homework.
Family Matters
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)
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Agree Disagree
i. A working mother cannot have a good relationship with her
children.


j. Daughters should do more housework and sons should do less.


k. A married daughter should still support her parents.


l. Daughters are more caring and considerate than sons.


m. It is more important for sons than for daughters to have a good






education.
n. Daughters should not have the right to their parents’ property
after their parents die.
o. When daughters get married, they become outsiders.
Family Matters
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)
________
1  for agree – 1 mark
1  for disagree – 0 mark
_______
What do your marks mean?
If you get 0 – 5 marks, you are a person who believes in
equal opportunity between the two sexes.
If you get 6 – 10 marks, you are a person who partly
believes in equal opportunity between the two sexes.
If you get 10 – 15 marks, you are a person with
stereotyped beliefs in family roles.
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Key
How many marks do you get?
29
Family Matters
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)
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The views on stereotyped family roles from your
class
1.
Class survey:
For each statement, write down the number of “Agree” and “Disagree” for the
boys and the girls in your class.
Agree
Boys
a.
Wives should do more housework than (
Disagree
Girls
Boys
Girls
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
husbands do.
b.
Wives should do housework after a day’s (
work outside the home.
c.
The housework done by wives should not (
be paid.
d.
A wife will be happier if she does not go (
out to work.
e.
The family suffers when the wife has a (
full-time job.
f.
Wives can do a better job than husbands (
in looking after children.
g.
Wives can do a better job than husbands (
in disciplining children.
h.
Wives can do a better job than husbands (
in helping with children’s homework.
i.
A working mother cannot have a good a (
relationship with her children.
j.
Daughters should do more housework (
and sons should do less.
Family Matters
__________________ (
)
________
k.
A married daughter should still support (
31
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Agree
Boys
31
Disagree
Girls
Boys
Girls
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
and (
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
m. It is more important for sons than for (
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
they (
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
Sub-total (
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
Total
(
her parents.
l.
Daughters
are
more
caring
considerate than sons.
daughters to have a good education.
n.
Daughters should not have the right to (
their parents’ property after their parents
die.
o.
When
daughters
get
married,
become outsiders.
2.
)
(
)
Does your class strongly agree with the stereotypes?
(Depending on answers to Q.1)
3.
Is there any difference between the views of the boys and the girls in your
class? Can you explain?
Suggestion : Teacher asks some boys and girls to share their views in
class.
Family Matters
__________________ (
)
________
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Homework
Division of housework
1.
Usually, who does the following housework at your home? Please put a  in
the appropriate box.
Father Mother Domestic
helper
Grandparents
You / your
brother(s)
or sister(s)
Others
a. buying food for meals






b. preparing meals






c. washing dishes after












f. washing clothes






G ironing clothes






h replacing light bulbs






meals
d. sweeping the floor
e. cleaning windows
Family Matters
__________________ (
)
________
Father Mother Domestic
helper
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Grandparents
You / your
brother(s)
or sister(s)
Others
i. baby-sitting






j. getting children to go
























of






o. taking care of sick












to bed
k. getting children ready
for school
l helping children with
. their homework
m. meeting with
children’s teachers /
principal
n. taking
care
grandparents
family members
p keeping contact with
relatives
Family Matters
__________________ (
2.
)
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Is stereotyping present in the division of work in your home? Give examples to
explain your answer.
(Any sensible answers with examples)
3.
Who does most of the work?
(No standard answers)
4.
Do you think the division of work is fair? Why?
(No standard answers)
- Students should justify their answers by specifying their understanding of
“fair”.
- Students should know that “fair” doesn’t necessarily mean absolute equal
share of workload.
5.
34
What family chores can you help with?
(No standard answers)