What makes a healthy, happy marriage?
A new book has once again enlivened debate over marriage and marital life.
A 30-year study on divorce in the US, by E. Mavis Hetherington, identifies five types of marriages, says the book entitled “For Better (For Worse): The Science of a Good Marriage”.
The cohesive marriage and the traditional marriage were most likely to be stable over time.
However, Hetherington identified three styles of marriage - the pursuer-distancer, the disengaged marriage and the operatic marriage - that put couples at high risk for divorce, writes author Tara Parker-Pope.
The cohesive/individuated marriage had the second lowest divorce rate.
According to Hetherington: “The marriage functions as a refuge the husband and wife return to at the end of the day for renewal, support, affection, and companionship.”
Surprisingly, a traditional marriage, which recognises the male breadwinner/female homemaker roles, had the lowest divorce rate in the study, reports the Times.
The success of a traditional marriage means both partners are happy with their role, perform it well and feel respected by the other partner.
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