The purpose of this research was to identify significant marital themes in 12 upper-middle class Jewish couples married a minimum of 20 years, and whose children were at least 18 years old. Each of the men in the sample possessed a college degree. Six women attended college and the remaining six had earned a high school diploma. The researcher interviewed each spouse separately concerning three periods in his/her marriage: the beginning years, the child rearing years, and the years after the children left home. The researcher explored the influence of a number of variables on the marriage: the couple's relationship, external factors, and styles of relating. Developmental transitions and crises experienced by the couple as well as the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors also were evaluated. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 1993. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Education.