Marriage Will Improve If Wives Submit To Their Husbands Analysis

Overview
This paper explores the argument of submissive relationships, meaning the man is the head of the household and the women should submit to him. There are two sides of this argument. the pro, “Marriages Will Improve If Wives Submit to Their Husbands” by Christine McClelland and the con, “Marriages Will Not Improve If Wives Submit To Their Husbands” by Cokie and Steven Roberts. These articles help understand the Role-Learning theory by stating the values and images of women and men in the media. Submitting to husbands encourages both women and men to define women in terms of men. Post modernism also has a part in this argument as the women’s role in society has been ever changing. Each side of the argument has valid reasons as to why
The article begins with a conversation between and man and wife. The husband is telling her she needs to relax while he’s away at work, mainly because that’s what the doctor told her she needs to do. She acknowledges him and lets him know the only thing she has planned is planting a few flowers. After he departs, she does a full day’s work outside and is miserable because of it. The wife then wishes she would only have listed to her husband. McClelland states that listing to her husband and doing what he says are two different things based on her definition of submission: yielding when it is convenient (1998). McClelland strikes me as a very religious person from her constant quotes from Ephesians, a book of the bible. She argues that women should submit to their husbands because that is what God calls us to do. We need to have faith that the Lord will guided their hearts and minds in the right direction to make the best possible decisions for the family. Domination in relationships is a constant battle, especially if the wife is stubborn and independent. McClelland states that if we give the man domination, your marriage will be blessed and you will be happy because of it. In her argument, McClelland begins to talk about our culture. She states, “women feel like they lack respect from men. We fight for respect by ordering equivalent pay and demand to be treated as equals.”
The Roberts argue that wifely submission could increase the problem of spousal abuse. With more and more women out in the work force living the same life’s and earing equal salaries as the husbands, the idea of women submission makes less senses. Steven and Cokie begin to give a personal story to argue their point further reporting that Steven once was given a card that read “head of the household”. As a couple, they realized that although they may have made different salaries, all decisions about finances, or anything else, is always shared equally. Their household had two heads. Or none. Not one. (1998). The Roberts point out that “gracious submission”, taken to extreme, can lead to abuse, both physical and emotional. This country has come a long way in terms of making spousal abuse illegal. The Roberts argue that the last thing women need is thinking that their “God given” role is submission to