Contact: Maridith Geuder
In describing the roles of husband and wife in conservative, evangelical families, such phrases as "breadwinner," "helpmate," or "stay-at-home mom" have been used.
But visions of 1950s TV characters June and Ward Cleaver aren't exactly correct, according to a Mississippi State University sociology professor. John P. Bartkowski, a researcher in family issues, gender and religion, describes gender roles within conservative families as being more dynamic and complex than stereotypes suggest.
He has written extensively about gender roles, including a recently completed book manuscript titled "Remaking the Godly Marriage: The Discourse and Negotiation of Gender Relations in Evangelical Families." Currently under review at Cambridge University Press, it builds on research he conducted for a doctoral thesis at the University of Texas.
His research suggests that "evangelicals are negotiating an uneasy relationship with American culture."
Even in families in which both husband and wife say they follow traditional roles, Bartkowski discovered that realities sometimes are different. Economic circumstances may dictate that both spouses work--or the wife may actually earn more than her husband. There also may be a tension between their understanding of their roles and the responsibilities they assume.
That tension, he said, "probably won't be resolved completely" as husbands and wives negotiate such issues as decision-making within the family and division of labor for housework, childcare, and financial provision.
Originally interested in parent-child relationships in conservative families, Bartkowski soon came to refocus his research on the ways that husbands and wives define their roles. While in Texas, he spent time with and interviewed evangelical families. He also reviewed more than 50 evangelical advice manuals to see what they had to say about spousal relations.
Bartkowski said that, even within the ranks of evangelical groups such as the popular Promise Keepers men's movement, there are differences of opinion about what it means to be a man and wife.
In his continuing research on Promise Keepers, he is examining language and social practices as they relate to gender. While some Promise Keepers refer to their head of household status, he has found others who opt for "servant-leaders" and other, more democratic descriptions of themselves.
"Some argue for wifely submission to the husband, while others prefer what they call 'mutual submission,'" Bartkowski said. "In this language, and in the language of much evangelical literature, we're seeing a fairly traditional world view interlaced with more progressive views about gender relations.
"In practice, the language reflects much about how relationships are organized," he added. "They're more complex and contradictory than we may have thought."