What are reasons for the rise of the symmetrical family?

The rise of the Symmetrical Family can be attributed to many factors. There is less need to rely on extended family due to the welfare state, higher wages and less unemployment;there are more employment opportunities for women leading to shared financial responsibility; there are fewer children therefore enabling the wife to work; better living conditions mean the home is more attractive to the husband; in working class families the tedious nature of jobs leads members of the family to be more 'home-centred' rather than 'work-centred' like the middle-class.