Living afar from marriage: experiences among a selected Ghanaian formal sector couples

Abstract

It is usually perceived that when couples marry, they live together to complement each other and keep each other’s company. There have been changes in family behaviour at the global level. In both the Western world and Africa, mainly when people achieve material well-being, their family relationships become subsidiary to their needs and wants. This study examines married couples who live separately and the consequences of this arrangement on their social and economic lifestyles. It uses examples from formal sector workers, and largely based on a qualitative study conducted using virtual interviews. The study reveals that although the usual expectation is for married couples to live under the same roof, contemporary socio-economic conditions often prevent this. As a result, couples adapt as needed to maintain and sustain their marriages. The study adapts the Living Apart Together (LAT) concept to suit legally married couples who are separated based on economic activities. It concludes that LAT, as discussed in the literature, focuses on couples, usually unmarried, who decide to live apart because of reasons beyond their control.