Reasons for Maintaining the Marital Bond in the Face of Critical Events in Long-Lived Marriages

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out how spouses engaged in long-term relationships faced possible situations of marital crisis and its repercussions on their conceptions about separation. We interviewed 25 couples engaged for 39.48 years average, ranging from 32 to 53 years. The average age of the spouses was 64.06 years, ranging from 51 to 82 years, all from cities in the interior of the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. Participants were interviewed individually and in dyads through two separate scripts, totaling 75 interviews. Thematic-reflective analysis resulted in three main themes: 1) mention of the possibility of divorce; (2) critical events that trigger reflections on divorce; (3) justifications for not getting divorced. Marital separation has been considered in various contexts, related to children, the wear and tear of the relationship, the routine and the conflicts inherent to the sharing of conjugality. The prospect of abandoning marriage, however, in most of the couples interviewed was overcome by reflections that involved socio-cultural aspects, the couple’s responsibility for raising children and even the financial aspects that could impact the lives of both spouses after dissolution.