Together on the move: motility as a resource for couples living in Switzerland in the context of visits to relatives

This article explores the links between couple satisfaction and visits to relatives. In so doing, it places at the centre of its approach the individual ability to travel regarding the couple’s joint trips to relatives and friends, which constitutes its originality, as such an approach has been little used in the sociology of the family and couple relationships. The article aims to investigate how ability to move – i.e. motility – influences couple satisfaction. To test this relation, we use a nationally representative sample of 962 working-age adults living in Switzerland, living with a partner. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the theoretical model testing the influence of motility on social visits and couples’ satisfaction is confirmed. Results show that getting access, skills, and projects to plan joint visits to couples’ family and friends has a greater effect on couples’ satisfaction than the actual conduct of these activities. Thus, this article examines how the ability to make social visits is more important for couples’ satisfaction than the journeys themselves.