2011 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 13-29
In Japan, aisatsu ─ the distinctive manners and customs that Japanese people do in the form of ritual communication, such as greetings in daily life ─ are considered very important for children and families. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the use of aisatsu behavior and marital relationships, their feelings in daily life among married couples raising children. A questionnaire was administered and 100 couples participated. The main findings follow. First, factor analysis of aisatsu behavior revealed two factors: rituals of daily life, such as saying “Good morning”; being considerate to each other, such as saying “Thank you”. Second, wives did rituals of daily life more than their husbands, whereas husbands, by contrast, did more non-verbal aisatsu. Third, aisatsu and marital satisfaction, non-verbal communication was correlated. Fourth, husbands’ being considerate to their wives was related to their wives' daily stress of childcare. Finally, the results of this study suggest the aisatsu that wives and husbands did were functional as an important aspect of family communication.
