Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

• Fatemeh Golabi ¹
• Mohammad Bagher Alizadeh Aghdam ²
• Elham Hosseinzadeh ³

¹ department of Social Science- Faculty of Law & social science- university of Tabriz- Tabriz- Iran

² department of Social Science- Faculty of Law & social science- university of Tabriz- Tabriz- Iran

³ department of Social Science- Faculty of Law & social science- university of Tabriz- Tabriz- Iran

Abstract

One of the most important factors in marital satisfaction and its stability is sexual satisfaction. This study aims to investigate the relationship between power structure in the family and sexual satisfaction of women. The study was conducted as a survey and the statistical population includes all married women in Tabriz of whom 400 women were selected using Cochran's formula and multi-stage cluster sampling method. A standard questionnaire was used to collect the required data and SPSS software was used to analyze the data. According to the descriptive results, the average sexual satisfaction is 244.40 (127-340) and the family power structure is 42.50 (18-68). Considering the dimensions of sexual satisfaction, the average sexual expression is 23.13 (13-48); Sexual partnership is 35.40 (14-48), sexual arousal is 22.45 (9-36); Sexual desire is 25.02 (12-36); Sexual fulfillment is 41.02 (15-60); Sexual attitude is 52.46 (32-66) and sexual awareness is 52.94 (31-66). Considering the dimensions of the power structure, the average participation in decision making is 9.54 (4-24); the persuasion is 17.67 (5-30); and the power symmetry is 15.33 (6-24).
The results of the Pearson correlation test showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between power structure in the family and the women's sexual satisfaction. Also, the relationship between the dimensions of the power structure in the family and sexual satisfaction has been significant. According to the results, it can be said that the widespread presence of democratic and participatory structure in the family increases the women's sexual satisfaction in all its dimensions.

Highlights

Numerous research studies have centered on the concept of sexual satisfaction, delving into and verifying the influence of diverse factors on the attainment of sexual satisfaction. Each of the research studies centered on distinct variables. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between family power dynamics and female sexual satisfaction. The statistical analysis indicates that there exists a significant positive correlation between the variables, according to the results of the hypothesis testing. The study suggests a positive correlation between the degree to which a family structure adopts a participatory decision-making approach that values mutual respect and reasonable freedom and the level of sexual satisfaction experienced by women under investigation. The presence of a positive correlation between the power structure within a family, specifically the level of family democracy, and sexual satisfaction is suggested by the positive nature of the relationship. The findings suggest a correlation between variations in the degree of family democratic practices and variations in the level of sexual satisfaction among the female participants under investigation. The findings obtained from the analysis of hypothesis 2 indicate a statistically significant association between the variable "power symmetry" within family structures and the various dimensions of female sexual satisfaction. It can be posited that conjoint decision-making within the family unit, coupled with the husband's attentiveness to his wife's viewpoints, results in a significant rise in sexual participation, expression, excitement, desire, realization, attitude, and awareness. Furthermore, the statistical significance of the correlation between the family power dynamics and the indicator of sexual satisfaction, with a p-value of .000, suggests that one of the factors influencing women's sexual satisfaction is the level of attention that a husband devotes to his wife.

Greater attention given to a wife may result in increased levels of relaxation and satisfaction within the context of a sexual relationship. The results of testing hypothesis 3 indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between the husband's persuasion and sexual satisfaction. In other words, all aspects of women's sexual satisfaction improve if unilateral decisions decrease and spouses speak and express their opinions rationally (rather than coercively) with their wife’s consent.

The results of testing hypothesis 3 (i.e., a positive and significant relationship between practical participatory decision-making and sexual satisfaction and its dimensions) demonstrated that men's work in the home, assistance with housework, and shared decisions increase women's sexual satisfaction across all dimensions.

In general, one-sided relationships decline as couples' involvement in decision-making increases and are replaced by interaction and exchange. The type of power in the family has an impact on how couples interact and relate, and one-way power hinders couples from understanding each other's actions and words as well as their needs and feelings. Due to the circumstances, they have grown distant from one another over time, and both of them—especially the wife—experience marital and sexual dissatisfaction. Couples' connection, intimate relationships, and level of life and marriage satisfaction rise as family decision-making cooperation does. Women feel more sexually pleased in personal relationships. Furthermore, a healthy power structure within the family boosts women's agreement and confidence, which in turn contributes to their satisfaction. In most families, a two-way power dynamic produces close connections between couples. All other relationships in life, including sexual relationships—one of the most crucial issues—are influenced by intimate connections. Nonetheless, in cases where the husband unilaterally makes decisions without considering his wife's needs and perspectives, there is a significant likelihood of relational frigidity and emotional detachment between the partners. The circumstances at hand may lead to a sense of dissatisfaction with life in general, as well as impact intimate and spousal relationships.

 According to Giddens, a noteworthy characteristic of a well-functioning and enduring family unit is the equilibrium in its power dynamics, where both the husband and wife share equal power. The disruption of power balance within a familial unit, whether originating from external or internal sources, may result in increased dissatisfaction among partners across multiple areas, such as emotional and sexual relationships. In families where management is based on shared ideas and patriarchal or feminist tendencies are avoided and where freedom of expression and democratic decision-making are practiced, relational dissatisfactions are likely to decrease. Women's satisfaction is positively correlated with the degree of symmetrical power structure in the family, the level of women's participation in decision-making, and the extent of their consultation and involvement. Additionally, women's satisfaction is positively associated with the level of persuasive power.

According to a review of previous research on this subject, no study has directly examined the relationship between family power structure and sexual satisfaction. The majority of related research has examined the relationship between family power structure and marital or life satisfaction. As sexual satisfaction is one of the main components of marital satisfaction, it can be said that the power structure within the family influences both marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. This study's findings are consistent with those of other studies. Nayebi et al. (2021) reached the conclusion that power inequality in families has a negative relationship with an equal affective relationship. Thus, the more unequal a family is, the more emotionally distant the wife is from her spouse. The issue will impact the emotional and sexual contentment of the wife. Now, everyone expects to be treated equitably and equally in society and the home. This expectation should be felt more than anywhere else in a couple's emotional relationship. The unequal distribution of gender power in families contrasts with the expected equality of the modern era and the equality of emotional relationships (Nayebi et al., 2021). Khakpour et al. (2014) investigated the effect of family power structure on marital satisfaction and concluded that power structure can predict marital compatibility. In addition, they concluded that marital compatibility increases when the family's power structure is cooperative. Researchers believe that families with a symmetrical power structure will have high quality and stability as a result of emotions, empathy, and closeness (Khakpour et al., 2014). Participatory relationship activities among couples improve the qualities of marriage and relationships in two ways: a) they create common interests and experiences between husband and wife, and b) they promote marital intimacy by eliminating power imbalances. Intimacy and a positive emotional relationship between couples with equal power will result in emotional and sexual satisfaction for both partners. Modiri (2017) asserts that the level of marital vitality is related to the extent to which families share economic concerns. Thus, when individuals experience a low level of marital vitality, the husband is likely in charge of the family's financial management and expenses. Pina & Bengston (1995) also reported that there is a positive and significant correlation between domestic division and women's psychological health. Dividing housework makes the partner feel supported. When a wife believes that the division of housework is unequal, she perceives a lack of support from her husband. The spouse's lack of support and understanding causes less satisfaction with marriage and depression in the wife; This issue itself leads to reduced emotional and sexual satisfaction in women. The husband's cooperation in housework implies love and connection. His help in housework generates an emotional experience of supporting the marriage, and this feeling affects the woman in her marital interactions and relationships and promotes higher marital satisfaction (Soleymani et al., 2015). Rezapour et al. (2019) focused on women's lived experience of homemaking lifestyle and claimed that society has been changing from a traditional state to a modern state, and the indicators of modernity, such as involvement and progression, are increasing among women. Women understand and interpret housework according to their personal and social experiences. Their responsibility and religious modeling play a crucial role in accepting the role of the housewife and internalizing its norms. Women's satisfaction and dissatisfaction with housekeeping are influenced by their marital satisfaction, and the power structure index in the family plays an important role in their submission to husbands in helping them with household affairs. Many studies and theories have proved that wives' employment, financial independence, and the kind of gender attitudes are among the most important factors that impact couples' relationships in the family. Women's employment influences decision-making (distribution of power) and division of work at home. Women's employment and their financial power have challenged the power relations within the family.

Normative changes in attitudes and expectations of the role of husband and wife in families have pushed couples' relationships towards cooperation and equality (Mehdizadeh et al., 2017). One of Shahmoradi et al.'s (2014) hypotheses was the demand-withdrawal cycle. Thus, power perception has a significant relationship with the demand-withdrawal cycle. A partner who feels less powerful in the relationship is more likely to engage in demand-oriented behavior, whereas a partner who feels more powerful tends to recede. The more a person experiences love, intimacy, and trust in their partner, the more likely they are to refer to their partner and request affection. Experiencing a sense of power serves as the fundamental basis for the absence of any perceived need. the person who has a higher sense of power feels superior and perceives his position as such that he does not need to ask his/her spouse for affection. Thus, the increasing distance between husband and wife progressively cooled their relationship (Shahmoradi et al., 2014). Some wives' reluctance to respond to the questions constituted a limitation of this study. Since this study was limited to ten Tabriz districts and socio-cultural and economic differences exist between different parts of the city, the researchers are cautious about generalizing their findings. Additionally, the study was carried out on a female population, and it has been observed that women tend to exhibit more conservative tendencies than men. The aforementioned matter could have impacted their inclination to withhold their authentic viewpoint, creating potential bias in the research.

In order to foster a more democratic family structure, there must be an increase in the involvement of wives in family affairs and decision-making. Additionally, it is crucial that men recognize and acknowledge the significance of their wives' contributions to the decision-making process. The incorporation of education and mass media is crucial in promoting a more democratic family structure. The findings of the study suggest that pre-marriage training courses should place greater emphasis on instructing individuals about the significance of power distribution and balance within the family unit.

Keywords

• family
• women
• sexual satisfaction
• sexual awareness
• power structure

Main Subjects

• marital satisfaction