Women rule the roost, and that’s OK with men

Around the house, women rule. And men aren't putting up a fight about it, according to a study from the Pew Research Center that examines how gender and power play out at home and in the community.

Of 1,260 individuals surveyed this summer— either married or living together — women wield more decision-making power at home. In 43% of couples, women made more decisions — almost twice as many as men — in the four areas Pew surveyed: planning weekend activities, household finances,major home purchases and TV watching.

The survey also found 43% of men don't have the final say in any of those decisions; they either share decision-making or defer to their partners.

"Across all decision-making realms, it tilts to the woman,"says Rich Morin, lead author of the study, being released today.

"I was surprised by the percentage of men who made none of the decisions in any of the areas. A significant percentage were just bystanders."

Such responses run counter to societal beliefs, says Melinda Forthofer, director of the Institute for Families in Society at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. …