Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to investigate how women's participation in the labour force affects the dynamics of power in gender relationships in contemporary Greece. Employment status has been considered as a crucial factor in determining women's power. Particular emphasis has been placed on relationships within the family setting and sexuality. The literature indicates firstly that family and sexuality are characterised by an imbalance of power in gender relationships. Secondly, it indicates that the family constitutes a major obstacle to women's participation in the labour force. The study applies a feminist approach within the context of theories of gender hierarchy and patriarchy. Thus, by taking into account the existing theorization about gender relationships and their constantly changing nature within all aspects of social life, this study aims to do the following: firstly, to investigate the compatibility of theoretical frameworks of patriarchy originating mainly from the UK and USA with empirical evidence of gender relationships in Greece; secondly, to provide an insight into the cultural valuations of the notions of power in gender relationships by comparing two different social settings within Greece: Athens, a cosmopolitan city, and Kastro, a small seaside village; and thirdly, to highlight how power defines the gender roles within family, employment and sexuality and in a reciprocal way how gender roles define the dynamics of power within heterosexual relationships. A total of fifty nine male and female participants - forty living in Athens and nineteen in Kastro - gave unstructured, face-to-face interviews. Participants were chosen to allow for differences in social class and employment status. All of the participants were married; this was because, firstly, pre-marital sexual relationships are not common in rural Greece, and secondly it was assumed that sexuality within marriage acquires a kind of legitimacy; it would therefore be easier and more justifiable for people to talk about it. Ethnographic studies carried out in Greece have served as a useful source of information about gender relationships, especially in rural areas. The research findings indicate that women's full time employment has an impact upon their sexual behaviour as well as upon men's sexual behaviour towards women. The findings also illustrate a wide range of variations other than polarization in gender power relationships firstly between men and women and secondly between those who live in Athens and in Kastro.