Sociology Topic: Families and Households - Wilmott and Young's Symmetrical Family

Introduction

• Focus on the research by sociologists Wilmott and Young.
• Studied families in East London through social surveys in the 1950s and early 1970s.
• Adopted a "march of progress" view suggesting family evolution through stages.

Key Research Themes

• Day-to-Day Family Organization: Examined division of tasks and leisure time.
• Class and Gender Roles: Investigated how norms and values of upper classes influence lower classes (stratified diffusion).

Family Life Stages

1. Pre-Industrial Family

• Predominantly rural and agriculture-based.
• Family as a unit of production, producing and trading goods.
• Family members worked together in homes and fields.

2. Early Industrial Family

• Post-Industrial Revolution shift to urban areas for manufacturing jobs.
• Family became a unit of consumption, trading labor for wages.
• Kinship networks important for survival through shared resources and labor.
• Gender Roles: Women controlled the private sphere, men were in public spheres.

3. Symmetrical Family (1950s)

• Emerged during post-war prosperity.
• Increase in shared leisure time (radio, TV) and social/geographical mobility.
• Shift towards joint conjugal roles, aligning with the privatized nuclear family.
• Dual Employment: Still gendered but moving towards symmetry.

4. Asymmetrical Family

• Theorized future stage based on upper-class models.
• Predicted separate social activities for males and females.
• Lack of evidence found in the 1970s research.

Criticisms

• Lack of True Symmetry: Despite claims, roles often remain gendered with women bearing a dual/triple burden (Oakley, Marsden).
• Stratified Diffusion Flaws: Income inequality challenges the theory as lower classes can't access the same opportunities as upper classes.
• Limited Application: Focused on nuclear families, not reflecting the diversity of contemporary family structures.

Conclusion

• Wilmott and Young’s research provides a historical perspective on family evolution but has limitations in contemporary application.
• The symmetrical family concept is optimistic but critiqued for not fully achieving gender equality.