Posts Published by Laina Bay-Cheng

Professor Laina Y. Bay-Cheng is a graduate of Wellesley College and earned her MSW and PhD through the University of Michigan's joint doctoral program in Social Work and Psychology while affiliated with UM's Institute for Research on Women & Gender. She has been on faculty at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work since 2005. She served as PhD Program Director from 2012-2019 and now serves as Associate Dean for Faculty Development.

Who wears the pants in a relationship matters – especially if you’re a woman

When it comes to power in romantic relationships, men are often cast as dominant and women as deferential. But working against this are caricatures of domineering women with their “hen-pecked husbands” and “whipped boyfriends.” At the same time, popular culture is replete with representations of striving and self-serving women – from celebrities like Beyoncé to the TV show “Girls” – who engage in relationships with men as social equals on a level playing field.

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