ABSTRACT
In popular lore, marriage is the natural extension of romantic love when a man and a woman find the “perfect partner.” But if marital bliss is about love, then how can marital dysfunction be explained Was there insufficient love Did personal selfishness or immaturity interceded Was the outside world too stressful and demanding
Because the popular myths about love and marriage1 are so inadequate, social sciences have been called on to offer more sophisticated explanations for marital distress. Sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and marital/family therapists have added considerably to the understanding these vexing questions. They have shown that marital dysfunction lessens when partners are better prepared and are taught more realistic expectations. Marital partners do better when they learn how to perform processes integral to healthy relationships and when they are made more resistant to the demands of a stressful culture. Despite the important contributions of social scientists to the understanding of marital dysfunction, one major variable has been notably absent-gender.
