Can marriages survive expatriate life?

Can marriages survive expatriate life?



I am a researcher based in Canada, working on a project that looks at why many marriages cannot survive the test of time abroad. Infidelity? Boredom? Stress? Too much travel? Too many opportunities? If you are an expatriate who has experienced marriage difficulties or divorce while abroad I would like to hear from you. What is your story? What do you blame the breakdown on?

I'd like your thoughts and I'd like to hear from people directly for my research.

You should also look at stressed relationships that survive.

Otherwise you risk getting tales of marriages that wuold have failed anyway, that blame it on the expat thing.

Why are you doing the research? Will it be made public and if so who is likely to read it? I think you need to answer these types of questions before people will be willing to disclose what they have been through. You are trying to open some very deep wounds, there needs to be a very valid reason for it.

Tigerbay: Actually I would like to look at stressed relationships that survive. That's a valid point and I am talking to people who have stayed together despite infidelity.


Pumkin: to answer your question. At this point, I'm just doing preliminary research. I'm simply trying to see if there are people willing to share their stories and give me some insight. In other words, is this a topic that I can research? If the project proceeds -- and it will probably be in a book and documentary form -- then I will be asking people with stories if they would be willing to participate in some way. I certainly wouldn't use anything without consent.

You are right, this is a delicate subject and I am approaching therapists and counsellors as part of the project. Several have expressed interest in the project because they believe there needs to be more honest dialogue on the topic. They are on the front-lines, and while there have been some books and academic papers about this issue, there hasn't been a mainstream book that brings it to a wider audience.