Gender role attitudes and marital satisfaction among Asian Indian couples living in the U.S.: an exploratory study

The social institution of marriage has maintained its importance in cultures across the world. In recent times though, globalization has paved the way for significant changes in how marriage and the gender roles of men and women are viewed. Indian society has only just begun to embrace these changes, posing a challenge for immigrant Asian Indian couples who find themselves in a culture far more egalitarian than the one they were raised in. The present exploratory study investigated how shifting gender role attitudes impact marital satisfaction. A qualitative research design combining ethnographic and grounded theory was used. Interviews were conducted with 6 married; Asian Indian couples between the ages of 22 and 50 who had at least one child. Five main research questions were addressed: a) How would Asian Indian couples characterize their experience of marriage amid conflicting Indian and American cultural and gender ideologies? b) What are the links between husbands and wives gender role attitudes and their report of marital satisfaction? c) Are the factors contributing to marital satisfaction navigated in egalitarian or traditional ways and how does that impact marital quality? d) What values are being imparted to the next generation in terms of gender role socialization? e) What are the implications for providing culturally competent therapy to this population? The interview data was analyzed to reveal important findings such as a significant growth in egalitarianism among Asian Indian men. Couples also reported increased marital satisfaction as a result of egalitarian gender role attitudes. As parents, couples reported a shift toward gender-neutral role socialization for boys and girls, also showing an increased openness to their children dating as well as choosing to marry a non-Indian person when they grow up. The study revealed that although the cultural bias against seeking mental health services persists in this community, there is increasing openness to it. These findings have important implications for training of mental health professionals who should understand how attitudes within this community are shifting away from the stereotypes as Asian Indians embrace more values of the host culture while still remaining true to their Indian heritage.Psy.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Archana Jai