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? Discussion: Would you consider marrying someone you were not in love with?

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 Discussion: Does society still need marriage?

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. Discussion: Why are May-December marriages beneficial for men?

Diversity Interracial marriages About 15% of all marriages in the U.S. are racially mixed. Interracial partners sometimes experience negative reactions. Do the self assessment Discussion: Will interracial marriages become more common? Why? 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. Discussion: Why are military marriages 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 Discussion: What are the benefits of being in the military? What could the government do it make marriage easier for military spouses?

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 Attribution: assigning cause

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.