Sociology · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Conjugal Roles and Childhood

This unit dives into the internal dynamics of the family, focusing on power and the division of labour. Students examine 'conjugal roles', the parts played by partners in a marriage or cohabitation. They debate Young and Willmott's theory of the 'symmetrical family', where roles are more equal, against Feminist arguments that women still carry the 'double burden' of paid work and domestic chores. This includes a sensitive look at domestic abuse and how power imbalances can lead to conflict.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• GCSE Sociology (AQA 8192) 3.3.3: Conjugal role relationships
• GCSE Sociology (OCR J699) 2.1: Power and relationships

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Individual

Simulation Game: The Domestic Labour Audit

Students are given a list of 20 household tasks. They must 'allocate' these tasks to a hypothetical couple based on different scenarios (e.g., both work full-time, one works part-time). They then compare their results to see if they've defaulted to traditional gender stereotypes.

Is the symmetrical family a reality in modern Britain?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: The Evolution of Childhood

Display images of children from different eras: working in a Victorian mine, a 1950s street game, and a modern child with a tablet. Students move in groups to list three 'rights' or 'dangers' present in each image, discussing if childhood has truly 'improved'.

How is domestic abuse viewed sociologically?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Symmetrical Family

Students read a summary of Young and Willmott's research. In pairs, they must find two pieces of evidence that support the idea of symmetry (e.g., men doing more DIY) and two pieces of evidence that challenge it (e.g., the 'triple shift').

Has the position of children in society improved?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Childhood is a natural, biological stage that is the same for everyone.

  Childhood is 'socially constructed', meaning it is defined differently by different societies and eras. A collaborative investigation into childhood in non-Western cultures helps students see that our current UK version of childhood is not the only one that exists.

• Equality in the home has been achieved because men 'help out' more.

  Sociologists distinguish between 'helping' and taking 'responsibility'. Feminists argue that even if men do more tasks, women still manage the 'mental load'. A role play about planning a child's birthday party can surface the difference between doing a task and being responsible for it.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share