Exploring Interpersonal Relationship Dynamics of Newlywed Arranged Marital Couples from Tamil Nadu, India: A Narrative Inquiry

The practice of arranged marriage is an area of concern in the changing milieu in India. When young couples start their relationship with a commitment without knowing their spouse very well, and struggle with fostering friendship and intimacy, the marriage may lead to separation and divorce. Therefore, this research aims to explore the interpersonal relationship dynamics of the newly married arranged marriage couples in Tamil Nadu and to discover the causes for relationship difficulties between couple in initial years and the best practices couples use to address them. The current study uses a qualitative method, incorporating narrative inquiry, with a semi-structured questionnaire for 10 couples (20 participants) as well as a joint interview of the couples.  They are college-educated and have been married for 3 years. Thematic analysis revealed that couples navigate differences in various areas such as in personality, emotions, personal freedom, communication, and resolving conflicts between spouse and in-laws.  Further, attitudes such as valuing and accepting the other, regarding conflicts as transitory and letting go of their ego helped them to sustain the relationship. These findings come as a tool to for the marital counselors, and psychologists to psycho-educate and to make an appropriate intervention to enhance the quality of relationship and prevent the future difficulties in initial years of marital life.