The Conflicts and Conflict Management in Stable Middle-Class Marriages: An Indian Perspective

Abstract

The present study explores the reason for conflict that Indian middle-class married couples face and the ways they manage those conflicts. For the purpose, 30 long-term married couples (Mage = 44.70 years; Mmarriage years = 19.48) were interviewed. Thematic analysis was carried out using Quirkos software. The reliability of the codes was checked by two independent raters and ICR was found to be 0.902. The analysis shows that disputes related to daily problems, finances, children, and in-laws, are more common in Indian middle-class couples. Unlike Western studies, Indian middle-class couples are not very vocal about problems related to intimacy and personal needs. Moreover, results show that the conflict management style of Indian middle-class couples is more relationship and partner-centric, that is, it is focused on benefiting their marital stability overall. We found three different but interdependent conflict management approaches—problem-solving, prioritizing partner, and harmonizing relationship. The results of the study show that some conflicts, as well as conflict management strategies, are more specific to Indian married couples, which probably gives longevity to Indian marriages. The findings can also help to guide and encourage couples facing problems in their marriage, especially young couples to choose an effective approach to solve a conflict.