Marriage and Conflict Theory

Marriage is the ritual that a society performs that symbolically places two (or more) people into a domestic partnership. Many cultures have marriage, though its definition varies. Like all institutions, the three sociological perspectives can help us understand marriage and its role in society. Functionalism describes the functions of marriage, which include socialization of children, economic production, and sexual control. Symbolic interactionism describes the roles that both men and women play in marriage, and how the general meaning of marriage affects the relationship. Conflict theory looks at the conflicts that arise in a marriage, especially focusing on the power struggle between men and women. This was the main focus of an article written by Joan K. Monin and Margaret S. Clark titled “Why Do Men Benefit More from Marriage Than Do Women? Thinking More Broadly About Interpersonal Processes That Occur Within and Outside of Marriage.”

The paper presents evidence for why men have more control in a marriage. The article specifically argues that “...men benefit more than women from marriage because men suffer less than women from marital conflict....” The explanation for this affect is cited as three things “...the greater social support that husbands may gain from their wives than vice versa...,” “...women's stronger push for health regulatory and prevention behaviors...”, and “...the reduction of daily hassles for men due to wives' provision of more household maintenance....” So, men generally get more benefits from marriage than women. This disparity is the cornerstone of conflict theory, which would place men in the power-class, and women in a lesser-class. These roles, however, are changing. As we discussed in class, because of the recession, the ratio of men to women in the workplace has started to shift. This is a very interesting movement, and has many implications for our society. So, if we were to see more women than men in the workplace, would it be likely that we see women benefit more from marriage than men? And if so, would this cause a power shift in the institution of marriage?

Sources:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/l77wxm5744gv0151/fulltext.pdf