chapter 7 marriage relationships. individual motivations for marriage people get married for a...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 7
Marriage Relationships
Individual Motivations for Marriage
People get married for a variety of reasons.• Love
– Is this a mandatory requisite in the U.S?
• Personal fulfillment– What the heck?
• Companionship– Obviously… think about lonely nights….
• Parenthood– Can’t you raise children alone?
• Economic security – Do we do this consciously?
Societal Functions of Marriage
Important functions of marriage:• Binds couple together who will reproduce• Provides physical care for dependent young• Socializes children into society• Regulates sexual behavior• Provides companionship
Marriage as Commitment
Commitment: the intent to maintain a relationship
• Marriage is a person-to-person commitment.• Marriage is a family-to-family commitment.• Marriage is a couple-to-state commitment.
Social policy directs marriage, divorce, and child support.
Marriage as a Rite of Passage
• Rite of passage: an event that marks the transition from one status to another.
• Families cooperate to produce the wedding.
• Brides often wear traditional artifacts—concrete symbols that reflect a phenomenon).
Changes After Marriage
• While laws vary by state, partners typically become part owner of the other’s income and assets.
• New spouses often develop increased self-confidence and adopt new values and behaviors.
• Marriage affects relationships with friends.
Changes After Marriage
• The couple’s relationship often changes to disenchantment—transition from a state of newness and high expectation to a state of the mundane tempered by reality.
• Partners shift their focus from each other to work or children.
Changes After Marriage
Couples also experience (Pg. 137):• Loss of freedom• More responsibility• Less alone time• Changes in how money is spent• Discovering that one’s mate is different from one’s
date• Sexual changes• Power changes
Changes After Marriage
• Marriage affects relationships with parents.• Only a minority of spouses report that they do
not get along with their in-laws.• Time spent with extended family rapidly
increases after children are born.
Changes After Marriage
• Marriage involves the need for spouses to discuss and negotiate how they are going to get and spend money.
• Debt tends to strain relationships.
Diversity in Marriage
May-December marriage: age-discrepant marriage.
• Typically the man is older than the woman.
• Research finds no difference in reported marital satisfaction between age-discrepant and age-similar marriages.
• Such marriages tend to benefit men more than women.
DiversityInterracial marriages• About 15% of all marriages in the U.S. are
racially mixed.• Interracial partners sometimes experience
negative reactions.– Do the self assessment
• Interracial marriages are more likely to dissolve.
Diversity
Interreligious Marriages• Over one third of marriages in the U.S. are
interreligious. • The impact of a mixed religious marriage may
depend on the devoutness of the spouses.• Those who are religious tend to be more
satisfied with their marriages.
Diversity
Cross-national marriages• Cross-national marriages are becoming more
common.• Much of the stress of these marriages is
related to society’s intolerance of cross-national marriages.
Diversity
Military marriages• About 60% of U.S. military personnel are married and/or
have children.• Military contract marriage: marriage in which a military
person and a civilian participate to get more money and benefits from the government
• Military marriages are particularly difficult for women.
Diversity
Challenges for military marriages:• Traditional gender roles are challenged.• Loss of control over deployment• Infidelity: length of separation increases the
chances of infidelity• Frequent moves and separations• Lower marital satisfaction and higher divorce
rates• Employment problems
Marital Success
Characteristics of couples in happy, stable relationships
• Personal and emotional commitment• Common interests/positive self-concepts• Good communication/effective use of humor• Religiosity• Trust• Not materialistic
Marital Success
Characteristics of couples in happy, stable marriages
• Positive role models in their parents• Sexual desire• Equitable relationships• Absence of negative attributions• Forgiveness• Health
Marital Success
• The Healthy Marriage Initiative is a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Research confirmed the positive effects of education and support for marriages and families.