The modern family structure and roles of each member have changed in the recent years. Do you think it has a negative or a positive effect on families? Give your opinion and relevant examples. - Ielts Essay

The modern family structure and roles of each member have changed in the recent years. Do you think it has a negative or a positive effect on families? Give your opinion and relevant examples.

Ielts Essay - New Family Set-ups 

With the changing times, a paradigm shift is being observed in the family set-ups across a cross section of society. This has also resulted in switchovers, and sometimes, complete reversal of roles of family members. The new family set-up is laden with both benefits and drawbacks.

The families of today are more of a reflection of harmonized relationships, where both the spouses have their own space to express their viewpoints, along with their likes and reservations about several matters and issues, more freely. The husbands, especially no more don the roles of bread earners, while the wives are no more confined to their homes as mere home makers. This transformation has made it possible for both the spouses to appreciate each other, together with aspirations, in a much elaborate manner. In a way, the respect for each other has grown manifolds, which has made it possible for spouses to often sort their differences in a more constructive way.  

Besides this, when it comes to handling certain important functions, like earning for the family; taking care of daily chores, like cooking, shopping for groceries and other items;  and above all, managing the upbringing of the children, both the spouses make equal contributions. As both the husbands and wives share the responsibilities jointly, and, in fact, takeover roles of each other, there are lesser instances of shifting of blames, and unpleasant clash of egos.

However, this redefining of roles has had also certain negative influences; the biggest casualty of such changes has been the children. The kids, more or less, have become uncontrollable, as they take advantage of constant switchovers of roles between their dads and moms.

To sum up, I personally feel that transformation in the family roles carries more advantages than the disadvantages.