Marital Stability

Abstract

This study investigated factors associated with stable marriages among twelve African-American, working-class couples who had been married for a minimum of twenty years, with children who were at least 18 years of age. The researcher conducted an in-depth interview with each spouse separately, and explored aspects of three different stages of their marriages: the early years, child rearing years, and post-child rearing years. Factors that were examined to determine their impact on marital stability included relationship variables, external factors and the influence of respondents' parents' marriages on their relationships.