Importance of Marital Characteristics and Marital Satisfaction: A Comparison of Asian Indians in Arranged Marriages and Americans in Marriages of Choice

Abstract

To date, little research has been published related to cross-cultural differences in such marital factors as love, intimacy, happiness, and satisfaction. The present study compares factors contributing to marital satisfaction and examines correlations between the importance of these factors and the level of satisfaction for three groups: Asian Indians in arranged marriages living in India (n = 229), Asian Indians in arranged marriages living in the United States (n = 185), and Americans in marriages of choice (n = 173). Results indicated significant differences between the three groups on both total importance and total satisfaction mean scores. Implications for multicultural marriage counseling are discussed and recommendations for further cross-cultural research are presented.

Marital Adjustment Trend in Asian Indian Families

“…It can also be inferred from the demographic results that small family size with dual-wage earners and middle-to upper-middle family income have contributed to healthy marital adjustment. This supports the findings of Madathil and Benshoff (2008) and Vijayanthimala and Bharati that financial security and lack of debt are important cultural values in the South Asian Indian community, which may positively impact marital adjustment and satisfaction. As evident from Figure 1, the average duration of married life of the respondents was solid, ranging up to 44 years of marriage by stage 8.…”

“…According to Gautam (2002) and Shaifali (2009), within the Indian cultural context, arranged marriages are considered as a bond between two families rather than two individuals, suggesting the importance of collectivistic orientation and family values over the individualistic perspective of the spouses. Results also indicated ( Figure 3) that although the majority of respondents in arranged marriages were from nuclear families, the couples were receiving continued support from either in-laws or other extended family members particularly with regard to child rearing (Aslinia, 2010;Madathil & Benshoff, 2008;Myers et al, 2005). In India, the extended family system is typically considered the norm and serves as the basic unit.…”

“…According to Kapadia (1984), adjustment in a marriage is a continuous and changing process. It can be conceptualized as the capacity for adjustment or the ability to solve problems rather than the absence of problems (Madathil & Benshoff, 2008). The marital adjustment of a couple at any particular time can be viewed as a balance of many different factors and conditions affecting their relationship (Bachrah et al, 2000;Hamamci, 2005;Myers, Madathil, & Tingle, 2005).…”

A Multi-level Analysis of Thirty-two Societies on Marital and Family Satisfaction

“…As many marriages in Asian societies are still arranged (Madathil and Benshoff, 2008) and family is more 'institutionalized' , however, these socioeconomic characteristics may be more critical in these societies than in the United States. Marriages are based on the affection between the spouses so that economical adversities can be overcome to some extent.…”

An Insider Viewpoint on Cultural Norms for Marriage and Mate Selection Relevant to Immigration Fraud Detection in South Asian International Arranged Marriages

“…Since members of the couple in arranged marriages tend to have few pre-marital contacts (Bhopal, 1999;Madathil & Benshoff, 2008;Qureshi, 1991;Stopes-Roe & Cochrane, 1990) and often have very limited lengths of cohabitation in South Asia before the Canadian marriage partner comes back to file a sponsorship application to facilitate his/her spouse's immigration (Kumar & Srivastava, 2005), some of these factors may be difficult to assess for arranged relationships. However, the issue of presentation of the spouses as a couple to friends and their cultural communities may be of prime importance.…”