Although the experience of jealously is among the most common of experiences in intimate relationships, little theoretical or empirical work has been done from a sociologial perspective to increase our understanding of this aspect of male-female relationships. An investigation of marital jealousy as a sociological rather than a psychological phenomenon, using a social exchange framework; more specifically a "structural exchange framework" will focus on the influence of the societal normative structure in the interpersonal relationship. This framework suggests that it is the normative definitions of marriage and marital roles, particularly regarding the parameters and legitimacy of jealousy, and the reciprocal cognitive orientations of the spouses related to sex role socialization, that dictate how spouses deal with and resolve jealousy. A structural exchange perspective takes these differing dimensions into account and thus, is one major avenue by which to understand marital jealousy more fully. Further empirical research is needed to test the viability of the structural exchange model. (JAC)