No fairy-tale… but it works : a quantitative study of the process of forming and maintaining a happy marital relationship in Malta

Abstract

The aim of this study was to create new insight in the current process of forming and maintaining a happy marital relationship. Six dual-earner couples who had children were invited to reflect about their experience of forming and maintaining a happy marital relationship. These participants were identified as being satisfied in a previous research and also identified themselves as being happy. Grounded theory analysis, was employed as the methodology to guide this research. In depth interviews together with the couples were undertaken, with each interview lasting between an hour and an hour and fifty minutes. Every interview was transcribed. In accordance with grounded theory, data collection and analysis started concurrently. The analysis consisted of four processes: line-by line-coding, focused coding, axial coding and selective coding. Memo writing and constant comparative analysis were used through out the analysis. Ten categories emerged from the data which are: the construction of the marital relationship as content; the social context and its influence on the couples relationship; the phases of family life; the family of origin and its affects; the financial and career pressures of the relationship; commitment and the fulfilling experience of being a parent; the transformative experience of suffering; the attunement between the couple; what helps the relationship and what make the spouses happy. Due to practical constraints the saturation of theoretical categories was not achieved. Further more this study clearly brought into perspective the diversity between these happy couples and with it the need for more research to understand more fully this process.