Assess the claim that the family has become increasingly symmetrical

The first 200 words of this essay...

Assess the claim that the family has become increasingly symmetrical

In the traditional nuclear family, the domestic divisions of labour of the husband and wife are segregated and independent from one another. The domestic division of labour refers to the roles that men and women play in relation to housework, childcare and paid work. The segregation of labour roles means that traditionally the man or husband would do heavy work such as household repairs whereas the woman would do cooking and cleaning. Conjugal roles are the relationships between husband and wife in a marriage. A conjugal role is the jobs duties and responsibilities the marriage partners take on and perform in the home. A number of sociological theorists such as Ann Oakley and Willmott and Young now reject this trend and argue that the family is becoming increasingly symmetrical. However others would disagree to this for example Dobash and Dobash believe the male still has firm control over all important decisions and over his wife.

Michael Young and Peter Willmott studied families in London's Bethnal Green in 1973. They found that family roles are now becoming symmetrical and that the men do their fair share of domestic