Willmott and Young

• As functionalists, they combine historical research and social surveys (nearly 2,000 people were interviewed in Greater London and surrounding areas) to trace the development of the family. Willmott and Young used the term symmetrical family to describe the Stage 3 (home centred) nuclear family. In such families 'symmetry' refers to the similar contributions made by each spouse to the running of the household eg shared chores and shared decisions.
• Conjugal roles are not interchangeable but they are of equal importance, an arrangement that they found to be more common in working class families; they advanced the theory that this reflected the nature of work as often boring and uninvolving leading manual workers to focus on family life.
• The 'Principle of Stratified Diffusion' is the theory that what happens at the top of the stratification system today will diffuse downwards tomorrow. The 'managing director family/stratified diffusion daily' (Stage 4) cited in their research was work-centred rather than home-centred, with the wife responsible for home and children. The theory has been criticised by feminists who saw little evidence of either 'symmetry' or a move towards Stage 4 amongst working class families.
• Strengths:

  It acknowledges how the family roles change within the family from historical and social changes. It tries to predict the next stages in family structure but it can't be validated. Involves how men are doing more in the household and the increase in female employment (Delphy and Leonard did not identify this). They used practical theories for their theories by using different disciplines and methodologies.
• Weaknesses:

  Feminists argue that there hasn't been symmetry and that women still do more labour than men. Marxist argue that a change based on stratified diffusion is how the bourgeoisie is invading family life. It claims to predict the next stage of family organisation yet their prediction still hasn't happened so the accuracy of the theory is questionable.
• Willmott and Young found that the home centred symmetrical family was more typical in the working class. Members of the working class focused more on family life.
• Symmetrical families
• Conjugal roles are more shared and are of equal importance
• Husband and wife more likely to share roles and leisure time together