Is it always about the money?

Hello, research conducted by Dew, Anderson, Skogrand, and Chaney (2017), state African Americans experience greater economic instability that is engrained in social and structural inequalities. The researchers want to know, “How African American married couples with strong marriages talk about the role money plays in marriage?” (Dew et al., 2017). Three financial themes emerged in this study: a) not having enough money to meet their needs, b) the effects of financial stress on the relationship and their ability to manage it, c) financial goals not being aligned (Dew et al., 2017). Despite these financial challenges, one strength of viewing this challenge through a strengths perspective is the belief in our ability to manage and solve problems (Dew et al., 2017).  The takeaway message from this study is not all financial challenges are a result of job, income, or external issues; sometimes financial woes are a result of the financial goals not being aligned (Dew et al., 2017). To combat these challenges, the researchers discovered that African Americans in strong marriages relied on resilience, unity, and a focus on building family relations as a buffer for these difficult challenges (Dew et al., 2017). This study suggests that it is not always about the money. 

Dew, J. P., Anderson, B. L., Skogrand, L., & Chaney, C. (2017). Financial issues in strong african american marriages: A strengths-based qualitative approach. Family Relations, 66(2), 287–301. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1111/fare.12248