Which description reflects the 1980s shifts in family norms according to Oakley?

• A. There was no change in family forms
• B. There was an increase in dual-worker and lone-parent families but norms did not change across all groups
• C. There was an increase in dual-worker and lone-parent families and norms shifted equally across all groups
• D. There was a decrease in diversity

Answer: (B)

This question tests understanding of how Oakley described changes in family norms in the 1980s. She argued that economic and social shifts led to more dual-worker households and more lone-parent families, reflecting a move away from a single breadwinner model. But she also stressed that these changes did not translate into uniform shifts in norms for everyone. Attitudes about gender roles remained uneven across different groups—some people and communities continued to hold traditional expectations about who should do domestic and child-rearing work, even as more women worked outside the home. So the best description is that there was an increase in dual-worker and lone-parent families, and norms shifted unevenly across different groups.