"I Can Have the Heart to Tolerate Insults Rather Than …": Explorations of Forgivable and Unforgivable Transgressions in Ghanaian Marriages

abstract:This qualitative study explores transgressions within the contexts of marriage in Ghana. We conducted interviews with forty married individuals aged twenty-eight to sixty-six years who had been married between one and thirty-five years. Using thematic analysis, we identified seven types of transgression with adultery being the commonest. Further, married individuals identified lying, disrespecting, insulting, and stealing as forgivable transgressions. However, some indicated that adultery and causing physical harm are unforgivable transgressions. Some of the transgressions identified were comparable to those found in previous Western studies, while others were different and culturally nuanced. Findings provide important insights into typical transgressions in Ghanaian marriages and may be important for pre-marital and couples counseling.