The Engagement and Impact of Relational Maintenance Behaviors in African-American Dual-Career Couples

Using individual and couple interviews, this qualitative work examined relational maintenance behaviors of 13 African-American dual-career couples. Findings reveal that study participants employed a variety of routine and strategic behaviors which they identified as relevant to maintaining marital satisfaction and stability. Couples distinguished between strategies in their daily interactions and those implemented for the long-term sustainment of their marriages. Couples also engaged a series of repair behaviors designed to restore the marital relationship once a transgression occurred. A new category of maintenance was discovered as useful for these African-American couples -- seek a spiritual connection. Each finding is discussed in regard to how it advances understanding of relational maintenance behaviors.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Family and Child Development

Department dc:contributor.department

Family and Child Development

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Hamlin-Jones, Virginia

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Bird, Gloria W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Rogers, Cosby Steele
• Fu, Victoria R.
• Sporakowski, Michael J.
• Hohenshil, Thomas H.

• Relational Maintenance
• African-American
• Dual-Career

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-32298-112618

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/30418