"The compass of our life": A qualitative study of marriage and faith among Chinese immigrants
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2011
Abstract
Twenty highly religious Chinese Christian married couples (n = 40) were interviewed to examine how religious faith influenced their perceptions of marriage and family life. Most participants held advanced graduate degrees (14 PhD and 13 MS degrees). Their ages ranged from 28 to 66, and the number of children ranged from one to four. Grounded theory methods (including open coding and axial coding) were applied to analyze the data. Based on the interview data three emergent themes were identified: (1) Moving from atheism to theism ("God is love"), (2) changing perceptions of marriage ("Marriage is established by God"), and (3) a new priority ("Put God first"). Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Implications for research and practice related to Chinese immigrants' marriage and family in the United States are discussed. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Marriage and Family Review
First Page
125
Last Page
148
Recommended Citation
Lu, Y., Marks, L., & Baumgartner, J. (2011). "The compass of our life": A qualitative study of marriage and faith among Chinese immigrants. Marriage and Family Review, 47 (3), 125-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2011.571633