The Influence of Gender Role Distribution within the Family on Relationship Satisfaction

The present study examines the relationship be tween gender role distribution within the family and satisfaction in romantic relationships among young adults in Shkodra, Albania. Particular atten tion is given to the association between egalitarian attitudes toward family roles and perceived rela tionship satisfaction. The study also explores pos sible gender differences in attitudes toward gen der roles and relationship satisfaction. A quantitative research design was employed. The sample consisted of 100 participants, equally di vided between women and men, with a mean age of 22.05 years (SD = 2.79). Data were collected us ing two self-report instruments: the Gender-Equi table Men Scale (GEMS), used to assess attitudes toward gender roles and family responsibilities, and the Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI), used to measure satisfaction in romantic relationships. The findings indicate a statistically significant pos itive relationship between egalitarian attitudes and relationship satisfaction. Participants who reported more egalitarian views regarding the dis tribution of family roles also tended to report higher levels of satisfaction in their romantic rela tionships. In contrast, traditional gender role atti tudes showed no statistically significant relation ship with relationship satisfaction. The results fur ther indicated that no significant gender differ ences were found either in egalitarian attitudes or in levels of relationship satisfaction. This study contributes to the existing literature on gender roles and the dynamics of relationships by providing data from the Albanian context, where traditional family norms continue to coexist with evolving social attitudes toward gender equality. The findings suggest that perceptions of fairness and shared responsibility within romantic rela tionships may positively influence the quality of relationships among young adults.