Marital Satisfaction among Employed and House-Wife Women

According to systems theory, husband and wife constitute a parent subsystem on which depends a healthy family functioning. Husband and wife satisfaction is related to their interaction and to how they nurture each other and their children. The aim of this study is to investigate aspects of marital satisfaction and marital status among employed and housewife women in Tehran. A sample of 400 married (less than 5 years) women were chosen and classed in two groups: 200 employed and 200 housewives. They filled GRIMM and ENRlCH questionnaires. The results were analyzed using t-test and frequency percentage methods.
Findings showed that the employed women were more satisfied with their marriage and had fewer problems with their husband's idealistic distortion, and their personality issues. They communicated better with their husbands and resolved conflicts more effectively. They were also more satisfied with their sexual relationships, and their family structure moved towards egalitarian style. Almost 40 percent of the subjects were not satisfied with their marriage reporting it as 'poor', 'bad', 'severe problems', and 'very severe problems'. Concerning the employed women, 16.5 percent of them, compared to 23.5 percent of housewives described their marriage with 'severe problems', and 'very severe problems' that could threaten the marriage. These findings imply that the women's employment had no negative effects on their marital satisfaction, and that employed women were more satisfied with their marriage. It seems that the issue of marital satisfaction needs more attention, help, and treatment.