We used national data from two samples reflecting different marriage cohort
s to examine long-term changes in gender relations within marriage, long-te
rm changes in marital quality, and the association between the two. The fir
st marriage cohort consisted of individuals married between 1964 and 1980 (
N = 1,119) and interviewed in 1980, whereas the second marriage cohort cons
isted of individuals married between 1981 and 1997 (N = 312) and interviewe
d in 1997. Compared with the earlier cohort, the more recent cohort reporte
d larger contributions to household income among wives, more employment of
wives with preschool-age children, less traditional gender-role attitudes,
a greater share of housework on the part of husbands, less husband influenc
e in marriage, and greater wife influence in marriage. Members of the more
recent marriage cohort also reported significantly more marital discord. Th
is difference in discord was explained partly by greater work-family confli
ct in the more recent cohort. Other changes in gender relations, however we
re not related to increases in marital discord.