study on determinants of women's status in power structure of family

In the past, the extended family has been the prevalent form of family that was driven by tradition and religion and headed by father. Today, this pattern has been substantially affected by social changes upon industrial revolution. It has also changed women’s status in family and weakened the traditional form of power structure in the family based on patriarchy. These substantial changes are also becoming increasingly more visible and predominant in Iran. This can be clearly observed in the substantial progress of women’s education in more recent decades which will also lead to their higher socio-economic status and greater position on power control and decision-making in the family. This study is based on a survey which includes a sample of 600 married women in Shiraz City. The multivariate results of this study illustrate that the structure of power in the family is significantly associated with such determinants as the acceptance level of religious values related to family, religiosity, the education of couples and parents, and men’s occupational status. More specifically, women’s education and religious values related to family play the greatest effects on the power structure of family.