Final answer:
The expressive role, historically attributed to women by sociologists like Parsons and Bales, is now seen by contemporary sociologists as socially constructed and flexible, not strictly bound to gender.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales, the expressive role is performed by women, but contemporary sociologists now argue that such roles are socially constructed and not inherently tied to one's gender. The expressive roles traditionally involve work inside of the family which provides emotional support and physical care for children. In contrast, men were traditionally associated with instrumental roles, involving work outside the family that provides financial support. However, modern understandings of family roles recognize that these roles can be fluid and that both men and women can assume different roles within the family based on situational needs rather than rigid gender assignments.