A/S Sociology
Michael Young and Peter Willmott - Four Stages of family life
Young and Wilmott conducted studies of family life in London from the 1950s to the
1970s. In their book ‘The Symmetrical Family’, they attempt to trace the
development of the family from pre industrial England to the 1970s. Using a
combination of historical research and social surveys, they suggest that the family has
gone through four stages.
Stage 1 – the pre-industrial family
The family is a unit of production: the husband, the wife, and unmarried children
work as a team, typically in the area of agriculture. This type of family gradually
disappeared as a result of the Industrial Revolution. However it continued well into
the nineteenth century and is still represented in a small minority of families today,
the best examples being some farming families.
Stage 2 – The early industrial family
This began with the Industrial Revolution, and reached its peak in the early years of
the 20th century. The family ceased to be a unit of production since individual
members were employed as wage earners. During a time of high unemployment and
low wages the family responded by extending its network to include relatives beyond
the nuclear family, providing insurance against insecurity and hardship.
This extension was largely conducted by women. The basic tie was between a mother
and her married daughter, while in comparison the conjugal bond (between the
husband and wife) was weak. Compared to later stages the family was more often
headed by a female. However, this resulted more from the high male death rate than
the desertion by the husband.
This type of family began to decline in the in the early 20th Century but it is still found
in some low income, long established working class areas. Its survival is documented
in Young and Wilmott’s famous study ‘Family and Kinship in East London’. This
was conducted in the mid 50s, two out of three married people had parents living
within 2 or 3 miles or their residence. There was also a close tie between female
relatives. Over 50% of the married women in the sample had seen their mothers
during the previous day. There was also a constant exchange of services such as
washing, shopping and babysitting, between female relatives.
Although many aspects of the stage 2 family were present in Bethnal Green, there
were also indication of a transition to stage 3. E.g. fathers were increasingly involved
in the rearing of their children.
Stage 3 – The symmetrical family
In the early 70s, Young and Willmott conducted a large scale social survey in which
1,928 people were interviewed in Greater London and the outer metropolitan area.
The results formed the basis of their book, The symmetrical family.
This family is characterised by the separation of the nuclear family form the extended
family. The trade union of women is disbanded and the husband returns to the family
circle.
Life is largely home centred, particularly when children are young, leisure is mainly
home based (watching television). The conjugal bond is strong, the husband and wife
increasingly share their work. Conjugal roles although not the same – wives still have
the responsibility for raising children – are symmetrical. They are similar in terms of
contributions made by each spouse to the running of the household. They share
chores, decisions etc.
Reasons for the rise in the symmetrical family:
1. Reduced need for kinship based mutual aid.
2. Increasing geographical mobility
3. Reduction in the number of children in the family allows women to work.
4. Husband drawn closer into the home due to increasing comfort, better amenities,
and a greater range of home entertainment.
Young and Willmott found that the home centred symmetrical family was more
typical of the working class. Members of the working class are less fully work centred
and focus is centred on family life. The nature of work is therefore central to family
life.
Principle of Stratified Diffusion
Young and Willmott claim that this theory accounts for much of the change in family
life. It means that what the top of the stratification system does today, the bottom will
do tomorrow. Lifestyles, patterns of consumption, attitudes and expectations with
diffuse from the top to the bottom.
Stage 4 ?
Applying this principle of Stratified Diffusion in 1973, Young and Willmott examine
the family life of managing directors, who are work centred, leisure activities are less
home centred and are less likely to involve their wives. The family was more
asymmetrical.
Young and Willmott suggest that changes in technology and the reduction in routine
work may result in the stage 4 family becoming more common throughout the
stratification system. People may become more work centred and less home centred.
Young and Willmott predict that the asymmetrical family represents the next major
development.
How can you criticise this study?