The idea for this study was born in the mid-1970s, a time when there was much discussion, but little research, on new forms of intimate relationship: cohabitation, serial monogamy, group marriage, sexual freedom within marriage. The problem for the researcher at that time – and still the problem now – is that there was very little systematic evidence about the nature of ‘ordinary’ marriage (if there is such a thing) with which to compare any changes that might be occurring. Apart from the occasional light thrown upon aspects of the relationship between wives and husbands (for example, whether they have joint or segregated roles, whether they are dependent upon each other or upon outsiders for help and companionship, whether one partner has more power to impose his or her wishes than the other), the internal lives of married couples have remained obscure. Marriage is a very private matter. This has deterred much research, but those few brave enough to persevere have been able to obtain useful findings. The aim of the study which forms the substance of this book was a further contribution to this understanding of what takes place within marriage.

Since the aim was to explore some of the complexities of the joint lives of married couples it was decided that it should be a small-scale investigation. It was small in the sense that it relied upon a sample of twenty wives and their twenty husbands; in that it was carried out by the author alone; and in the sense that it was confined to couples living in just one geographical area, namely Aberdeen.