Marital equality
Subtitle: its relationship to the well-being of husbands and wives
By: Janice M. Steil.
Series: Sage series on close relationships
Publisher: Sage Publications
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Thousand Oaks, Calif
Language: eng
Number of pages: 145
Subjects: Marriage -- United States -- Psychological aspects.; Married people -- United States -- Psychology.; Equality -- United States -- Psychological aspects.; Sex differences (Psychology) -- United States.; Sex role -- United States.
Description: While women's roles have expanded at an astonishing rate and the need for a more egalitarian style of relating seems critical, the vast majority of married women still bear a disproportionate responsibility for the work of relationships, home, and children. Why has there been so little change? Why is equality so difficult to achieve?

Women have historically borne the burden of initiating and enforcing change although, ironically, this conflicts with their traditional role as nurturer and tender of relationships. Steil maintains that any motivation to seek change stems from a sense that inequality is unfair - a perception often impeded by gender differences in the sense of entitlement. Change is costly and not without risk.

The opportunity, however, to enjoy more intimacy in relationships is the reward and certainly benefits both marriages - "his" and "hers." Academics, researchers, and students in the fields of close relationships, social psychology, interpersonal communication, family studies, and sociology will find the cutting-edge presentation of Marital Equality both fascinating and enlightening.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-132) and indexes.