Expectations concerning Husband-Wife Responsibilities in the Home

A SEVENTH-GRADE boy in a co-ed home economics exploration class at the University of Wisconsin High School, Madison, Wisconsin, provided impetus for the research upon which this paper is based. The writer had just completed an introductory explanation to the boys of the reasons for including them in the course. Activities in which the class might be engaged had also been discussed. All this brought a disturbed expression to one boy's face which ended in his raising his hand and saying, But my father never does any of that stuff. This is but one example illustrating the need for the teacher to understand the variations of role concepts in families if she is to help boys and girls to understand better their present and future responsibilities as family members.