Marital power, gender role ideologies, and marital satisfaction in rural couples

Abstract

In times of changing roles for husbands and wives, there may be situations in which individual spouse's behaviors do not match their ideologies. As rural wives gain financial resources as a result of their employment, there may be changes in the balance of power within rural families that go against the grain of traditionality. This study examines the effect of wives' financial resources on marital power among rural couples, and the resultant effects on marital satisfaction. The potential impact of the gender role ideology of both spouses in this process is examined. Specifically, it is predicted that increases in the wife's financial resources and marital power will be most disruptive to marriages in which one or both spouses have a traditional view of gender roles. An overview of research and theory on marital power is presented, followed by the rationale for the present study.