| A grounded-theory qualitative study based on ecological and feminist theory was conducted to determine the influence of ecological factors on the marital relationships of Chinese international graduate students. Ten Chinese couples from a university in the southern United States participated in both conjoint and individual interviews. Participants were asked questions about the influences of the natural physical-biological environment, the social cultural environment, and the human built environment. To triangulate the qualitative data, participants also completed a Demographic Questionnaire, the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised, the Suinn-Lew Asian Self Identity Acculturation Scale, and the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2. The social cultural environment was found to be the most influential in the lives of participants. In the microsystem, problem-solving, affection, spousal support, and spousal separation were found to be most influential. In the mesosystem, the most influential factors were family, friends, and the presence of children. Influential factors in the exosystem included time together because of graduate school and relationships with professors and advisors. Influential macrosystem factors were found to be language, relationship expectations, Western influence, gender, and Communism. A theoretical model of adjustment was developed based on these results. |
