Male Dominance, Role Segregation, and Spouses' Interdependence in Conflict

The experience of purchasing conflict between spouses was tested in four cultures: Austria, India, Turkey, and the USA. Spouses had to complete an interdependence matrix-type questionnaire, assessing their well-being in situations of conflict and agreement. Differences between well-being scores in situations of conflict and agreement were interpreted as reflecting the degree of spouses' interdependence. It was found that spouses in Western countries depend on each other more in personal decisions than do spouses in more traditional, non-Western countries. Specifically, spouses from traditionally patriarchal families in India and Turkey depended least upon each other. This was expected, due to culturally and historically prescribed differences in the degree of role segregation between spouses. The stronger the role-segregation in traditional societies, the less spouses depend upon each other in personal matters. It was also found that husbands are more autonomous in their decisions than wives, specifically in male-dominated Western families. Male dominance in Western families appears to be based on different mechanisms than patriarchy in traditional non-Western marriages.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67110/2/10.1177_0022022190211002.pd