Leisure and Marital Satisfaction in Intercultural Marriages

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of cultural backgrounds of spouses on leisure (couple and individual) and marital satisfaction among Korean-American and East European-American married couples. In particular, the study examined challenges faced by intercultural unions that were related to their leisure engagements and the role of leisure in improving marital satisfaction. The data were collected with the use of in-depth one-on-one interviews. The results showed the importance of shared leisure time as a component of marital satisfaction among intercultural couples. Leisure allowed them to develop shared interests and provided opportunities for healthy communication and spending quality time together. Spouses faced unique problems in leisure related to differences in native languages, communication styles, and social behavior. They also employed a number of strategies to increase their marital satisfaction, including (a) restructuring leisure, (b) proactively using leisure to address potential marital problems, and (c) providing opportunities for positive seclusion.