Seven Rules on Having a Happy Marriage Along With Work

Abstract

In modern society, men and women want to have a successful marriage and a career. However, people are faced with new demands at work and home, and therefore, finding a balance between work and family life is a real challenge. In this article, the data consist of stories written by Finns who have been married for more than 10 years (N = 342 married couples) and who were able to combine demanding work and family lives. In voluntary statements, the respondents discussed the factors that explain the stability and happiness of their marriages. Stories were analyzed with inductive content analysis and qualitative categorizing. Seven rules of personal behavior as the resolutions of having a good marriage along with work were found as results. The results show that none of the couples had avoided difficulties; instead, the couples had created personal models of interaction that could be seen as the secret of their marital success. © 2012, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.