Underlying Sources of Agreement and Communication between Husbands and Wives in Dacca, East Pakistan.

This study is a secondary analysis of data collected in Dacca, East Pakistan in a government low income housing colony. Data were gathered separately from both husband and wife. Eight major areas were subject to factor analysis as an initial step in the study of patterns of communication between husbands and wives in a Muslim society. Three dimensions were produced which were labelled 'role empathic relationship,' 'husband dominant relationship,' and 'shared values relationship.' Results indicate that factors other than age, duration of marriage, and education are significant in interspouse communication and that more socio-psychological study is needed in this area. There is support for including husbands, from each type of relationship, in family planning education programs. The tentative results suggest further consideration of inter-spouse relationships of several kinds rather than a one-sided, Western-biased, research focus on the highly communicative couple as a model of husband-wife concurrence and solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]