ABSTRACT

A century ago, the future path of a new marriage was clear: Both as newlyweds and across the following decades, spouses would occupy separate spheres of life, and would not often or easily communicate their emotions with one another. A successful marriage was one in which the husband was able to fill the role of financial provider, and his wife was able to fill the role of helpmate (Bernard, 1964; Burgess & Wallin, 1953; Degler, 1980). This portrait is undoubtedly overdrawn, but there can be little doubt that cultural ideas about marriage have evolved, particularly over the past several decades, in two important ways. First, husbands and wives now place more emphasis on creating an egalitarian working partnership, in which the spouses equally share the responsibilities of household tasks and paid labor. Second, couples have increasingly come to believe in the importance of

expressive companionship, or creating a relationship that encourages spouses to share their thoughts and feelings with one another. The two ideals are often assumed to go hand-in-hand; as Burgess and Wallin (1953) noted, “The companionship concept of marriage (with its emphasis upon affection, comradeship, democracy, and happiness of the members of the family) is replacing the old time notion of marriage as a relation stressing respect, obedience, authority and duty” (p. vii). However, some couples may embrace one standard without endorsing the other (Huston & Geis, 1993; M. P. Johnson, Huston, Gaines, & Levinger, 1992).