Marital Satisfaction and Intimacy: Gender Role Attitudes and Spousal Support in Botswana

In this study, the predictors of marital satisfaction and intimacy were examined within an African context that is characterized by a fast growing economy, migrant population, urbanization and industrialization. Specifically, this study examined the role of two relational variables, gender role attitudes and spousal support and two demographic variables, age and gender in predicting the variance in marital satisfaction and intimacy, after controlling for number of children, religion, occupation, education, length of marriage and household income among married individuals in Botswana. The results of this study reveal the importance of gender role attitudes and spousal support as key predictors of marital satisfaction and intimacy when compared to age and gender. That is, individuals who reported high scores in spousal support and egalitarian gender role attitudes also reported high scores in marital satisfaction and intimacy. Gender and age were not related to both outcomes used in this study. The findings in this study will be of benefit to mental health professionals (a fairly new profession in Botswana), marriage officers, pastors and family life educators, as they deal with married and prospective couples in Botswana. Mental health professionals in Botswana will be able to explore the perspectives of married individuals on gender role xii attitudes and spousal support within the context of their marital relationships. The results of this study provide some support for the use of family therapy interventions in Botswana and neighboring countries, open a dialogue among couples regarding marital expectations and what they bring in from families of origin and provoke some thoughts among family educators in creating interventions relevant to the African context.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Marital and Family Therapy

Year

2010

Author dc:creator

• Rakwena, Kagelo Henry

Contributors dc:contributor

• Wilson, Colwick M.
• Fox, Curtis A.
• Jenkins, Louis
• Simpson, Cheryl

• Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling
• Marital Satisfaction
• Gender Role Attitudes
• Spousal Support
• Botswana

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/9

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1008