Little is known about the qualitative components of women's multiple roles or about women's perceptions and subjective feelings about their occupational and domestic roles, although all of these factors modulate health outcomes. The research upon which this manuscript is based was designed to respond to the need for understanding the daily experiences of women in clerical jobs. The data about spousal role satisfactions, stress and coping strategies, as perceived and articulated by them, indicates there are almost an equal number of satisfying and stressful aspects of the spousal relationship. Examples of the satisfying aspects are companionship, reciprocity, and interaction; while stressful aspects are inequality of tasks, disagreements and domination. Women in this study cope by using strategies that are more solitary in nature. They identify very little power to negotiate support and tangible assistance.