Equal Partnership in Marriage
What are the benefits to men? Men benefit emotionally from equal partnership
because there is greater openness and they feel better about their marriage. They
all benefit from the greater physical intimacy that comes with equal partnership.
Physical closeness improves physical health and reduces stress. Men in happy
marriages also are more productive at work, because they are less distracted by
concerns at home.
What about the benefits to women? The closer communication and emotional
intimacy in an equal partnership greatly benefit women. Research shows that having
equal say in decision making is the most important contributor to wives’ view of their
marriages as happy and satisfying. Wives are happier when their husbands
appreciate them for work they do in the home and when their husbands are
copartners in domestic matters. They feel better about themselves, are less angry
or depressed, feel their relationship is more equitable, and are happier with their
marriage.
In conclusion, taking into account mutual respect, learning from others, and
adaptation to modern times, the opinion of the “woman” domestic chores should
change to the “partnership” domestic chores.
1. What is the author’s purpose?
2. To whom does he/she intend to give his/her speech?
3. What social issue/s is presented in “Equal Partnership in Marriage?”
4. What is the speaker’s stand on the issue?
5. Do you agree with the speaker’s stand? Why or why not?
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Answer:
1. Allen, S. M., & Hawkins, A. J. (1999). Maternal gatekeeping: Mother’s beliefs and behaviors that inhibit greater father involvement in family work. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 199-212.
2. Coltrane, S. (2000). Research on household labor: Modeling and measuring the social embeddedness of routine family work. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 1208-1233.
3. Hawkins, A. J., et al. (2000). Equal partnership and the sacred responsibilities of mothers and fathers. In D. C. Dollahite (Ed.), Strengthening our families: An in-depth look at the proclamation on the family (pp. 63-82). Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft.
4. Rosenbluth, S. C., Steil, J. M., J. H. Whitcomb (1998). Marital equality: What does it mean? Journal of Family Issues, 19(3), 227-244.
5. Steil, J. M. (1997). Marital equality: Its relationship to the well-being of husbands and wives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.