what is a symmetrical family sociology
Definition of Symmetrical Family ( noun) A family structure in industrial societies in which both spouses work for wages and share domestic labor equally. The Stage 3 family differs in two clear ways from Stage 2. The term symmetrical family, coined by Michael Young (1915-2002) and Peter Willmott (1923-2000) in The Symmetrical Family (1973), based on research in England, describes the evolution of the family structure towards a more egalitarian model of a joint conjugal-role relationship instead of a segregated conjugal-role relationship. What did Gillian Dunne think about the idea of the symmetrical family? >in which the roles of husbands and wives, although not identical are much more similar. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. However not all sociologists areas confident over the future for the traditional family, instead they prefer talking about family diversity. Members of the New Right consider the decline of marriages a social and moral decline. If the symmetrical . This means that both partners have paid jobs outside the home, and they participate in domestic labour, childcare, emotional work, and decision-making around the family equally. So, they had more power in the decision-making, especially when it came to bigger costs, like a house or a car. Symmetrical Family - A family in which the roles of husbands and wives, although not identical are more similar. (Moore, pg 185) Feminist Ann Oakley critisised Willmott and Youngs theory that husbands help around the home is not accurate, as could just mean washing up once a week. For example, quite small contributions to housework by men was deemed by the research to mean that housework was shared and therefore the family was symmetrical. (Check out Children and Childhood for more information.). >couples spend their leisure time together instead of spending it separately. Functionalists perspectives on the family hold that families perform functions such as socializing children, providing emotional and practical support, regulating sexual activity and reproduction, and providing social identity. What is the sexual function in Murdock's theory? About 150 years ago before britian became based on industry, most people worked in argriculture. There was the Equal Pay Act in 1970, Sex Discrimination Act in 1975 and Employment Protection Act also in 1975. 1996. Gatrell's research in Britain shows that 40 years after Ann Oakleys findings, women are still doing the majority of domestic duties while working more and more in paid jobs outside of the house. The idea of a symmetrical family was theorised by Peter Wilmott and Michael Young in 1973. They based their theories on functionalism, especially on Talcott Parsons' ideas, and concluded that the family has been developing through stages in history. A single-parent family consists of a child or children with one parent in one household. They agree with the idea this type of family was superseded by the industrial revolution.
what is a symmetrical family sociology