You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram below shows the average hours of unpaid work per week done by people in different categories. (Unpaid work refers to such activities as childcare in the home, housework and gardening.)
Describe the information presented below, comparing results for men and women in the categories shown. Suggest reasons for what you see.
Write at least 150 words.
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Model Answer 1 (Band 9)
The bar graph meticulously compares the average hours of unpaid work per week done by people in different categories, differentiating between married men and women, with and without children.
An initial overview highlights a palpable discrepancy between genders. Married women consistently exceed married men in terms of unpaid work hours, with a significant escalation observed in households with children. This pattern is pronounced, delineating a clear disparity in domestic labor division.
Expanding upon the details, the graph showcases that married women without progeny allocate just over 20 hours to unpaid labor, a commitment that increases to just under 50 hours for those with 1-2 children, and peaks at approximately 60 hours for those nurturing 3 or more children. These figures starkly contrast with the relatively static contribution from married men, which oscillates slightly above and below the 30-hour mark irrespective of child-rearing responsibilities.
The unpaid work hours among married men is constant, even in the presence of an expanding family, suggests a culturally embedded norm of disproportionate domestic responsibility borne by women. For families with 3 or more children, the divergence in unpaid work commitment is most notable, revealing the domestic roles of men and women.
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Model Answer 2 (Band 9)
The bar chart provides an insightful comparison into the average hours of unpaid work per week done by people in different categories, specifically contrasting married men and women, segmented by their parental status.
In overview, the chart reveals a consistent pattern where married women are seen to shoulder a more substantial burden of unpaid work than married men across all categories. Notably, the differential in hours widens in relation to the number of children present in the household.
Delving into specifics, married women without children are shown to engage in unpaid work for approximately 20 hours a week, a figure that is nearly doubled by those with 1-2 children and tripled when the children number three or more. This incremental surge underscores the intensifying responsibilities of motherhood. In stark contrast, married men's contribution to unpaid work does not exhibit a similar increase; it hovers around 30 hours regardless of the number of children, with a marginal dip observed in the households with the most children.
The minimal fluctuation in the unpaid work hours for married men suggests a possible adherence to traditional gender roles where women's unpaid labour significantly escalates with motherhood, while men's remains unaffected by paternal responsibilities. This discrepancy is most pronounced in the category with 3 or more children, highlighting the domestic workload distribution.
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Model Answer 3 (Band 9)
The bar graph delineates the weekly average hours of unpaid work performed by individuals across various familial configurations, with a direct comparison between married men and women.
At a glance, the graph illustrates a striking disparity in the average hours of unpaid work per week done by people in different categories, with married women invariably investing more time in these activities than their male counterparts. This trend is particularly pronounced among those with children.
Married women without offspring dedicate a greater number of hours to unpaid work compared to married men in the same category. This gap widens with the presence of 1-2 children and expands further when analyzing families with 3 or more children. In this last group, married women contribute close to 60 hours of unpaid labour weekly, a testament to the increased demands of childcare and household duties in larger families. Conversely, the data for married men remains relatively stable across the board, with a slight decrease in unpaid work hours observed in the group with 3 or more children.
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