Power Imbalances in Marriage: A Study of Online Support Group Discourse

This study examines how wives in an online support group discursively construct power imbalances within their marriages. By conducting a discursive analysis of 192 posts, we identify how they use specific discursive devices to articulate their experiences of power within four primary domains: Resource Power, Social Power, Coercive Power, and Influence Power. The findings highlight how the posts construct perceptions of financial, social, legal, and emotional control, often emphasising vulnerability and a lack of agency. The study demonstrates how the posts within this online space become a powerful tool for participants to reinforce and contest normative power structures, providing a critical avenue for emotional expression and support. The research highlights the significance of online support groups as discursive arenas where women can share their experiences, construct their realities, and potentially reshape their sense of agency.