Self-Other Orientation and Sex-Roles Orientation of Men and Women Who Remarry

Abstract

Remarried men and women were more oriented to a balance between self interests and the other's interest in the remarriage decision than in the first marriage decision. In-depth interviews showed that these men and women used a similar balance when making the remarriage decision but that they arrived there by different avenues. The balance came from the women beginning to include self interests more and the men beginning to include the other's interest more. These remarried men and women also perceived themselves to be more nontraditional in sex-role orientation at the remarriage decision. Gilligan's Ethic of Care, a cogtnitive theory, was used to explain the change in self-other and sex-role orientation. Recommendations were made for using this theoretical framework in marital therapy.