ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a style of interaction - interdependence - that appears to help at least one type of two-worker family - two-profession families - to cope with their exciting but demanding lives. The style of marital interaction to be described - interdependence - is a coping strategy adopted by two people who choose to share an intimate relationship. The psychological literature abounds with studies on helping, co-operation, altruism and support - all aspects of interdependence. Interdependence connotes more than merely ‘mutual dependence’ as Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines it. The marital bond is not sufficiently elastic to endure deviations from more customary ways of relating. Career women expect a great deal of themselves and often become upset and self-blaming when they do not meet their high standards at all times. Men, too, have trouble accepting their dependent feelings and the fact that they may wish to act dependently with their wives.
