I've seen the "Wife Swap" programme here in the UK as well. I must admit I never saw the concept of wives and mothers being "property" in it.
Although if we look at the commandment that states "thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, etc.", then one could argue that it implies that a wife is a possession (this isn't my opinion btw).
Anyway, in some cases, it made families much closer. In some cases, the husband and wife learned to appreciate each other much more. However, in other cases, it has had the opposite effect. Oh well, I guess the participants go on the show at their own risk!