American Muslim Marital Quality: A Preliminary Investigation

This paper describes the results of an exploratory investigation into American Muslims' marital quality. Respondents were 296 young, well-educated, long-term North American residents, most of whom lived near a major metropolitan hub. They reported generally healthy and satisfying marriages, though women reported lower marital quality than men. Marital problems most commonly included issues with in-laws, family or friends, finances, differing interests, and conflicting attitudes concerning sex. Women were more likely than men to identify in-laws as a source of conflict in the marriage; further research should investigate the nature of this conflict. This information may aid in the development of therapeutic interventions for distressed American Muslim couples that account for unique stressors Aliya R. Chapman and Lauren B. Cattaneo that affect this community, such as the role of extended family and the effect of a community-wide emphasis on intact marriages.