The Newlywed Experience for Women: A Phenomenological Investigation

The major objective of this research was to explore the experience of new marriage for women. Previous research has neglected the qualitative investigations of the newlywed experience from an exclusively female perspective. Prior research has also focused on specific areas of the newlywed experience. The newlywed experience for women in general was chosen to examine whether or not there are additional areas of the newlywed experience for women that have not been examined in previous work. The newlywed phase of marriage for women was studied to allow for comparisons to be made in subsequent studies of the newlywed phase of marriage for men. The purpose of this study was to give participants an opportunity to voice their experiences of new marriage so that others may be better able to understand and learn from their experiences.

The phenomenological method was used to interview fifteen adult women who were in their first marriage and had been married for less than three years. These interviews were then transcribed and analyzed by two different phenomenological research groups looking for themes that existed among the fifteen participants. Themes emerged on the grounds of Different – Our Relationship and Our Identities, which set the context for the study. The themes included Being Together, Our Responsibilities, and How We Communicate. The grounds, themes, and sub-themes are outlined and described in detail, with quotes from the participants provided to illustrate each one.

This research provides a clearer understanding of the experience of new marriage for women so that mental health clinicians can have a better understanding of this experience and use this knowledge to develop a framework to guide marital counseling and therapeutic interventions for married women.