This book investigates the social and domestic dynamics of marriages where the wife holds a higher occupational status than her husband. Susan McCrae utilizes qualitative research and sociological analysis to examine how these couples navigate traditional gender expectations and class-based norms. The study explores the practical and psychological adjustments required when the conventional model of male occupational superiority is inverted within a household.

Sociologists and gender studies scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of class and domestic power dynamics. The prose is noted for its academic rigor and its clear, systematic approach to complex social phenomena.