M.A. (Sociology) / Traditionally, the husband has a higher status than his wife. When the wife improves her status however, this relationship can be changed into one that is unconventionally asymmetric. One important factor that can lead to such an unconventional asymmetry, is the furthering of the wife's educational status, a tendency found increasingly among Black women. Since many Black women who study at a university are married, it is important that they get the support of their husbands in coping with the heavy workload resulting from simultaneously studying and running a household. The aim of this study was to use qualitative research in an explorative way to collect in-depth information on how Black women, who are studying at a university, experience the way their husbands support them. Attention was paid to three main areas of support, namely moral support, support in doing the household tasks and support with looking after the children. Attention was also paid to the extent to which quarreling is caused by the wife's studies. The responses in personal interviews yielded four profiles of support experienced by the wives. The first pattern is one of high support experienced by the wife, characterized by high moral support, medium to medium-high support with the household, medium to high support with the children and little quarreling caused by the wife's studies. The second pattern is one of medium to high support experienced by the wife, characterized by medium moral support, medium-high support regarding the household, high support with the children and little quarreling that the wife experiences as being caused by her studies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:12485 |
| Date | 07 October 2014 |
| Creators | Bouwer, Annemarie |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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