Final answer:
Friedl contends that economic independence and public engagement are key to women's power. Patriarchy poses challenges to this power, but as women earn wages and men share domestic labor, the balance of power shifts. Education and employment grant women further autonomy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In her article on sex roles, Friedl argues that the key to women's power is their economic independence and participation in the public sphere. Engagement in the labor force allows women to gain power within the family structure and create more democratic arrangements at home, challenging the traditional owner-worker relationship described by Friedrich Engels where women assume the role of the proletariat. This shift helps them move from the private to the public sphere, harnessing their everyday knowledge for broader societal input.
An important factor influencing gender roles and women's power is patriarchy, which traditionally places power in the hands of men. However, as women become wage earners, they can tackle this systematic inequality to some extent. This is not without challenges, as women may still carry the majority of the domestic burden and face systemic inequalities such as wage gaps, as highlighted in Betty Friedan's work on corporate wage tables.
Interestingly, conflict theorists note that when men participate more in household labor, which traditionally offers no wages or power, women report greater marital satisfaction, indicating that equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities can contribute to shifting the balance of power within the home. Moreover, as women gain more autonomy through education and employment, their roles in family and society continue to evolve.