(i) Significant changes took place in both nuclear and joint families with the penetration of capitalist industrialization in the 20th century.

(ii) Prior to this economic revolution, the household was characterised by the inseparability of family functions and labour, though different tasks may be performed unequally by men and women.

(iii) With capitalist industrialization the family no longer remained the unit of production, though it is continued to be one unit in terms of consumption.

(iv) The growth of manufactures and factories meant wage labour, each person in the family earned separately.

(v) With bourgeoisie values predominating, a man's wage began to be considered the 'family wage', i.e., a whole family was meant to survive on it, and women's work ideally was home and nurturing of children. This was, however, a middle class value that better off working class families could aspire to, but was hardly the norm for most working class people.

(vi) Women of the working class were as much wage workers as men were. In fact many industries preferred women or children as employees because they could get away with paying them less. In practice the concept of equal pay for equal work did not apply to women.

(vii) In the modern world women usually bear the double burden of earning a wage and primarily doing the domestic work as well. It is a situation all of you must be familiar with.