Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the personal network and to clarify the related variables having an influence on the emotional integration of married couples and their well-being in the late middle age stage. The survey was conducted in October 2002; mail was sent to 1, 357 married couples in Maebashi and Takasaki, the age of the wives ranging 52 to 62. Seven hundred eight replies were received (return rate : 26.1%), but the analyzed subjects were only 261 couples as they were the case where both husband and wife made a response to the questionnaire. The wives average 57.0 in age and the husbands 59.5. As to the family composition, 41.4% are only husband and wife while 80% of the respondents have children who run separate household. The obtained results are as follows : 1) The overall size of their personal network as well as the number of pairs with whom the married couples associate have a positive influence on their emotional integration. The diversities of the kinds of supportive resources to be used in the resource use scenes have a positive influence on the well-being. Those findings are common to both wives and husbands. 2) As far as wives are concerned, the ratio of the relatives to the total size of the personal network negatively influences the emotional integration of the married couple, and both the ratio of colleagues and that of neighbors have a negative influence on their well-being. 3) Wives have more personal network variables that significantly influence the emotional integration of the married couple as well as their well-being. The finding suggests that there is a difference between wives and husbands in their commitment to the personal network.
