Marital Roles and Power: Perceptions and reality in the Urban Setting

Abstract

This paper explores the perception of roles and distribution of power among a sample of 312 married men and women in an urban-industrial city in South India (kolar Gold Field). The paper argues that although Indian society is experiencing significant social change associated with modernization cultural and normative codes continue to exert their influence on marriage and the family. Consequently consensus between husbands and wives about each others roles has increased markedly with husbands defined as the breadwinners and wives as homemakers. In practice nearly 90% of the husbands studied are the sole providers and nearly all wives including a small proportion who are employed are dependents. With regard to marital power the general perception is that the husbands have the right to make critical decisions and hold undisputed authority over their wives. In fact however there is close consultation and bargaining in the exercise of domestic authority. The nuclear family structure with an emphasis on conjugal solidarity companionship open communication and mutual dependence has helped wives to gain a good measure of equality in the spheres of decision-making and interpersonal influence. (authors)