Answer to Question 1
From the symbolic interactionist perspective, what people think, as well as what they
say and do, is very important in understanding family dynamics. According to Berger
and Kellner, interaction between marriage partners contributes to a shared reality.
Although newlyweds bring separate identities to a marriage, over time they construct a
shared reality as a couple. However, Bernard has argued that women and men
experience marriage differently. Although the husband may see his marriage very
positively, the wife may feel less positive about her marriage. Researchers have found
that husbands and wives may give very different accounts of the same event and that
their two realities or perceptions of his and her marriages frequently do not
coincide.
Answer to Question 2
c