UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Item An Examination of the Narratives of Men in Power-Sharing Marital Relationships: A Feminist Perspective(2008-12-04) Ades, Alisa Joy; Fassinger, Ruth E; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)One of the distinguishing characteristics of the late 20th and early 21st century is the dramatic change in the work and family roles of mothers in the United States. Despite evidence indicating that managing the multiple roles of work and family is healthy for both men and women, and that couples in equitable marriages report higher levels of relationship satisfaction and stability, marital partnerships often fall prey to traditional roles. In the vast majority of heterosexual marriages, men continue to hold the power. For true equality to exist, men and women need to share roles and, ultimately, power. The present study examined the lives of men in power-sharing marriages. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for understanding what motivates men to pursue a non-traditional path and engage in power sharing marital relationships, where partners hold mutual status, actively negotiate roles, share decision-making and provide mutual attention to family and household tasks. This research was a qualitative study of 13 men in this type of power-sharing marital relationship. These men self-identified as power-sharing and eligibility was confirmed by the primary researcher. Data were gathered through semi-structured in-person interviews. The emerging theoretical framework suggests that the participants followed a complex path that led them to a power-sharing marital relationship. The path was composed of contextual spheres of influence (the sociopolitical context, the family of origin, the community and the academic environment) which worked together to foster the development of societal (justice, gender equality, equity) and interpersonal (mutual respect, reciprocity, family-first, complex connection with partner) values. In turn, the theory proposes that these values inspired the men to embrace a power-sharing orientation. The path did not end for these men with the initiation of the power-sharing marriage because the men in this study constantly confront challenges and rely on facilitators in order to maintain their power-sharing status.Item The Social Role Double Bind and the Implications for Contemporary College Students(2004-12-02) Ades, Alisa Joy; Fassinger, Ruth E; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Past research indicates that mothers face a double bind: stay-at-home women are undervalued, and employed women are viewed as interpersonally deficient. This study examined the double bind by comparing perceptions of women and men in the same social role. College students read a brief description of a stay-at-home or employed (full-time/part-time) mother or father, rated the target on measures of instrumentality and communality, and estimated how often he/she performed nurturing behaviors. The college students also completed measures assessing their own career and family expectations. Results showed different trait perceptions of mothers and fathers in the same social role, indicating persistence of sex stereotyping and resistance to parents in nontraditional social roles. Notable effects included: employed mothers were considered significantly less nurturing than male counterparts; fathers employed part-time were rated less instrumental and more expressive than other targets; and, overall, mothers were expected to perform more nurturing behaviors, regardless of role.