Marriage
Over the past 50 -- 60 years, the divorce rate in the United States has risen dramatically. Marriage was viewed differently in previous generations, and was generally considered an institution between one man and one woman. In today's modern culture, the lines between what is acceptable in a union between two entities is much more blurred than it was in earlier years. There is a movement to accept marriage as it was previously defined as too old-fashioned. Accordingly, there is a larger percentage of individuals who divorce after marriage, or who oftentimes do not marry at all, preferring instead to cohabitate one with another. Such a scenario seems to be based on a lack of overall commitment to the relationship, and this same lack of commitment affects married couples as well.
One recent study determined that in the 1950's happy marriages were the result of marrying someone with similar beliefs, commitment levels, concerns and upbringing and that "failing to recognize this reality could lead to unhappiness and maybe even divorce (an undesirable outcome, especially in the family-oriented 1950's)" (Celello, 2010, p. 44). If the evidence is today's high rate of divorce, then the same scenario that held true in the 1950's also holds true today. Additional evidence is provided that shows divorce is a traumatic experience and that it brings about "marital distress and family fragmentation associated with a broad spectrum of risks for adults and children, including problems with mental health and individual adjustment, child behavior, physical health, and economic success and stability (Booth & Amato, 2001; Halford & Bouma, 1997).
In fact many experts agree that couples generally do best if they can develop a clear sense of the future direction of the proposed marriage, and that there are strong findings that the level of commitment matters in a marriage (Amato & DeBoer, 2001; Waite & Joyner, 2001). If society wishes to see a decline in the overall divorce rate, and society is willing to assist those individuals most at risk of divorce, then it makes sense to help these couples using the most effective tools in the counseling toolbox. This paper seeks to determine what is currently working effectively in the realm of marriage counseling, and additionally looks to create a marriage preparatory program that assists young couples seeking to marry with establishing a firm level of commitment to the marriage.
Literature provides a number of studies that have determined that preparatory programs regarding marriage are beneficial to many couples, and oftentimes will receive credit to the strengthening of commitment in the marriage relationship. Community-based marriage preparation programs are effective in reducing the rate of divorce, stress and complications in the early years of marriage according to experts (Silliman, 2003). Silliman also found that high-risk couples experienced an increase in benefits from education through positive youth development programs, and that faith communities are critical catalysts in fostering support and training networks (p. 271). It is not just the experts who favor such programs, states and local municipalities also view preparation programs in a favorable light. One study showed that "premarital education has also become a focus of public policy as many states have proposed and enacted legislation that will require or offer incentives for participating in some form of premarital education" (McGeorge, Carlson, 2006, p. 166).
With the benefits evident it would seem to make sense to establish a preparatory program that would be effective for those couples who are seeking to marry, and not just within a certain sect or group. This paper would rather research the effects of, and then create a scenario that would enhance a non-denominational program for couples seeking pre-marriage counseling. The Burgoyne et al. study provides a perfect backdrop to this study by stating that "it seems, therefore, that a marriage may not only survive, but prosper, if the couple is sufficiently committed to it" (Burgoyne, Reibstein, Edmunds, Routh, 2010, p. 392). The question remains then as to what will assist the couple(s) in the most efficient manner concerning the level of commitment it takes to build a long-term and successful marriage.
Marriage counselors during the post-war era of the 1950's were sought after and popular because many Americans "were eager to receive guidance about choosing a spouse and dealing with married life" (Celello, p. 42). However, this popularity seems to have waned in recent years, especially in the area of high-risk marriages. The author contemplates the reasons...
(PREP Inc. 2012) Bibliography Allen, W. (1997). Replication of five types of married couples based on ENRICH. Unpublished dissertation. University of Minnesota. St. Paul, Minnesota. Browning, DS (2003) Marriage and Modernization: How Globalization Threatens Marriage and What to do About it. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003 Duvall, E.M. (1971). Family development, 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Co. Fournier, D.G., & Olson, DH (1986). Programs for premarital and newlywed couples. In R.F.Levant (Ed.), Psychoeducational approaches to
Family Systems and Marriage Preparation Programs It has been a recent development within the United States when the government has started making an effort to establish marriage programs that can help strengthen the foundation of marriages. They have done so by recently joining hands with the church and other faith-based organizations that run marriage preparation programs. One such organization is the Association of Couples for Marriage Enrichment (ACME) that primarily focuses
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