Symmetrical Family
Sociology: AQA GCSE, topic 2.4.3
The Four Stages of Development
'Symmetrical family' is a term created by Young and Willmott, which describes a nuclear family whose spouses are equally responsible for tasks and decision-making. There are four stages involved.
First stage
- In the first stage of the development is the pre-industrial family, made up of the father, mother, and the children.
- The whole family worked in agriculture and were a single unit of production.
Second stage
- From the 18th century until the early 20th century, we have the early industrial family.
- Family members were employed and were no longer seen as a single unit.
- Families relied on extended family members for support with domestic chores and childminding.
- Extended family ties were strong.
- This type of family can still be found today in low-income working-class families.
Third stage
- The symmetrical family.
- Young and Willmott carried out a survey with almost 2,000 participants in areas around London, which found that:
- People lived a more home-centred life (spending more time at home entertaining themselves rather than going out) thanks to technological advancements.
- Spouses were sharing domestic tasks.
Fourth stage
- The asymmetrical family.
- The family of a managing director family is described as 'asymmetrical' since the household tasks are not equally shared between the man and woman.
Key Study: Symmetrical Family
P. Willmott and M. Young conducted a key study called ‘The Symmetrical Family’ (1973), which offered a functionalist perspective on the symmetrical family. Nearly 2,000 people were interviewed.
Symmetrical family
- Symmetrical family describes a family in stage three of the development - the (home-centred) nuclear family.
- The term Symmetrical family is used when each spouse makes similar contributions to the household, and conjugal roles are equally important.
- The study revealed that this ‘symmetry’ is usually found in working-class families.
Stratified Diffusion
- Young and Willmott's theory of stratified diffusion suggests that what starts at the top of the social stratification system will eventually spread to the lower strata.
Criticisms
- Young and Willmott have been criticised for the symmetrical family by feminists who couldn’t find evidence of spouses equally sharing the responsibilities at home.
- Critics also couldn't find any signs of working-class families moving towards the 4th stage (asymmetrical family).
Reasons for Symmetrical Families
There are several reasons for the rise of the symmetrical family.
Better living standards
- Advancements in technology mean that people are becoming more home-centred.
- People have everything they need at home to entertain themselves.
Changes in the status of women
- As women become more interested in their education and their career, they feel more independent and their spouses tend to treat them as equals.
Fewer children being born
- Thanks to contraception, couples now have more control over family planning.
Geographical mobility
- Due to the fact that people tend to move away from home, the lack of a support system leads to spouses having to share tasks in order to get everything done.
Commercialisation of housework
- The invention of new appliances (e.g. the washing machine and the hoover) has reduced the amount of time needed to carry out domestic tasks.
Test yourself on Symmetrical Family
According to Young and Willmott, the 'Symmetrical family' is made of four stages. What type of family can be found in the second stage?
What can we expect in the second stage of development of the symmetrical family?
The four stages of development
According to Young and Willmott's study, where are we most likely to find a symmetrical family?
What have we learned about Willmott and Young's study?