Egalitarianism and Marital Happiness: Israeli Wives and Husbands on a Collision Course?

Abstract This research investigates the different ways married men and women view the level of equality in their relationship and the connection between different indices of marital equality and marital satisfaction. Israeli married couples (n = 150) were questioned about their attitudes toward equality between the sexes, the degree of their role sharing and decision making, the overall sense of fairness in the relationship, and their marital happiness and tension. Most important was the finding that although equal role sharing and decision making were predictive of women's marital satisfaction, these also predicted men's marital tension. The implications of this study's findings for marital therapists are presented through case material.