Search
Search Results
-
The problems facing our nation's public schools today cannot be divorced from our enthusiasm for technology and the positive relationship we believe it shares with our perception of progress. Based on ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Technological progress, disacculturation, and our public schools
- Author:
- Morita, Sally J.
The problems facing our nation's public schools today cannot be divorced from our enthusiasm for technology and the positive relationship we believe it shares with our perception of progress. Based on the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy, author Jeremy Rifkin argues that the development of increasingly "efficient" technologies is more cause for concern than congratulations - increasing the scale and pace of activity in our lives hastens the overall process of the dissipation of energy in our environment and increases the amount of disorder in the world. What's more, Rifkin believes we rationalize our actions on the basis of our views of the order found in nature when, in fact, our views about nature and progress reflect our own dominant modes of activity. From an anthropologist's perspective, schools can be numbered among the various exosomatic instruments that we humans use to capture, transform, and process sources of energy from our environment. Only when societies have reached a certain stage of technological sophistication and organizational complexity has the suggestion for the need for schools arisen. This paper examines the relationship between the rise of industry in America and the birth and expansion of our public schools. Americans place great faith in education and we have organized our schools on the basis of our ideas about progress. During the Enlightenment, men were equally enthralled by the discovery of order in nature and the human capacity to appreciate and manipulate this order. As the nineteenth century progressed, Americans became greatly attracted to Herbert Spencer's ideas about evolution and progress, ideas which reflected the more impersonal nature and increased organizational complexity of American society after the Civil War. In our nation's public schools, these ideas were reflected in the express transformation of public schools into comprehensive socializing institutions during the Progressive era. With continued technological progress, the expanding number of socializing and vocational responsibilities assumed by schools has led to their overshadowing the teaching of basic skills and academic subjects. Two recent movements in education - the Back to the Basics movement and the Home Schooling movement - are also discussed as re- evaluations -of the relationship between public schools and changes in American society.
-
Purposes and Method of Study The purpose of this study was to find out if tenth grade girls were aware of the probability that a majority of them would work at some time during their lives, and if they ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Educational and occupational aspirations of Oregon tenth grade girls
- Author:
- Haller, Michele Suzanne
Purposes and Method of Study The purpose of this study was to find out if tenth grade girls were aware of the probability that a majority of them would work at some time during their lives, and if they planned to prepare for this possibility. A questionnaire was designed and validated to attempt to determine these aspirations and expectations. Six hundred questionnaires were then sent to 24 Oregon high schools where the home economics teachers administered them to the sophomore girls in their classes, A total of 508 usable questionnaires were returned. The questions proposed for study were: 1. What do tenth grade girls aspire to educationally? 2. Are their educational goals related to the choices their mothers have made? 3. What are the future plans of the tenth grade girls ? a. Do sophomore girls see themselves in the future as mainly wives and mothers? b. If they plan to marry, do they reject working as a part of their life pattern? 4. For what reasons will they work? 5. What are tenth grade girls' views of what they will be doing at age 30 and after their children are grown? What are tenth, grade girls' preferences for their mothers' working or not working? How does this influence their choice for themselves? 7. What influences the opinions of sophomore girls about women working? 8. Are sophomore girls aware of the facts about women working today? 9. Is there a need to place more emphasis on wage-earning skills in the home economics curriculum or is there a need to continue to emphasize home and family living? Findings In general, the respondents aspired to graduate from high school. This choice was the same as the education the respondents° mothers received. The girls tended to see themselves mainly as wives and mothers, but a large majority included some work plans in the expectations for their lives. The respondents tended to be unrealistic about the reasons they might take jobs. Though most said that the need for money would be the main reason for working, the next two largest groups said that they would take a job because they erjoyed working arc in order to have something to do. They did not consider a husband's injury or death, divorce, or never marrying as good reasons for working. A majority of the respondents expected to be home taking care of their children at age 30. Forty-two percent expected to be working part time after their children are grown, but just a few less (38 percent) expected to be keeping a home during these years. The largest number of respondents preferred their mothers to keep a home full time, but in many cases made different choices for themselves than they made for their mothers. Most of the respondents felt that no one had influenced their opinions about women working. Many others felt they were mostly influenced by their mother's opinions, The respondents were quite accurate in estimating the average life-expectancy of teen-aged girls and the number of years they could expect to live after their children are grown. The respondents' estimates were not very accurate when they were asked to guess the average number of women working today (they estimated very high), and the average number of years a woman will probably work (they estimated very low). Implications The main implication of this study is that students do not seem to be realistic about planning their lives. They appear to be aware of the facts about how many women are working today, how long they will probably live, and how many years of life they will have after their children are grown. Of the 508 respondents, 80.3 percent planned to work, 56 percent after they married. Nevertheless, the respondents quite unrealistically did not plan to get very much training or education to prepare themselves for any type of job. Nearly one third of the respondents planned to go no further with their education than high school. Because of the unrealistic attitude of the girls toward preparation for their future employment, it seems that homemaking teachers need to find ways to help these girls to become more aware of the problems in the world of work, and to help them to learn skills that will make them more employable when they need or want to work. More than one fourth of the respondents expected to be working at age 30, and over half planned to be working after their children are grown. However, family life instruction is still a definite need. So few of the respondents answered that they would take a job if their husband died or was injured, or if there was a divorce, that it points to a need for more emphasis on family interaction and even realistic family finance. To leave out these teachings in favor of job training would be a mistake in light of these findings; but a combination of the two needs to be taught in the home economics curriculum.
-
73. [Article] The rhetoric of Sir Thomas More and Dietrich Bonhoeffer in original work and dramatic portrayal
Chapter I. This is a critical study of the rhetoric of Sir Thomas More and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and of plays in which they are portrayed. The purpose is to discover whether or not the rhetoric of the playwrights ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The rhetoric of Sir Thomas More and Dietrich Bonhoeffer in original work and dramatic portrayal
- Author:
- Harvey, Robert C.
- Year:
- 1971
Chapter I. This is a critical study of the rhetoric of Sir Thomas More and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and of plays in which they are portrayed. The purpose is to discover whether or not the rhetoric of the playwrights preserves the integrity of the ideas of the central characters as evidenced by the rhetoric found in their original works . Chapter II. Rhetorical criticism is rendering a judgment on the fitness, correctness or appropriateness of those discourses, spoken or written the aim of which is to influence the readers or hearers. There is much variety in methods of rhetorical criticism. This study will use the dramatistic pentad proposed by Kenneth Burke. Its elements are act, agent, agency, scene and purpose. It will also employ the naming of strategies, another term from Burke meaning methods or attitudes. In addition judgments will be made on the basis of significant ideas, creative choice of language, integrity and credibility. Chapter III. Sir Thomas More was a lawyer, scholar and public official in England at the time of King Henry VIII. He incurred the King’s displeasure by his refusal to support him in his efforts for a divorce. He believed strongly in the need to preserve one’s integrity by obeying his conscience. In his trial speech, his main strategies were related to the importance of conscience and his knowledge of the law. He was pronounced guilty of treason and executed. Chapter IV. In a Man for All Seasons, the playwright has used several theatrical strategies that help to focus attention on More, the central character. He is presented as a genial man of firm reliance on the law and obedience to his conscience. On the basis of a comparison of the rhetoric in the play with that of More, it is concluded that the playwright faithfully preserved the integrity of More’s ideas. Chapter V. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a theologian, pastor and teacher of Germany during the Nazi regime. He opposed the Nazis on theological grounds, and gradually came to believe that he must become active personally and politically. He joined the resistance movement in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He was imprisoned and executed. His chief motive for action was obedience to God. In selected writings, he is seen to have a strong faith in God, and great hope for the future. Chapter VI. The Cup of Trembling is a play based on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, though using mostly fictional names. Again, the playwright uses devices that bring out the hero’s character. His struggle against the Nazis is seen to involve a corresponding struggle within himself as he makes decisions about his role in the situation. His faith in God and obedience to God are expressed, as well as his hope for the future. On the basis of similar ideas expressed in both media, it is concluded that the playwright succeeded in preserving the integrity of Bonhoeffer’s ideas. Chapter VI I. The key idea of conscience is seen to have been preserved by both playwrights. A number of major ideas were traded from the original figure to the play, and their integrity was seen to be preserved. Therefore, it is concluded that the playwrights did preserve the integrity of the ideas of the two men in the rhetoric of their plays. The major implication of this conclusion is that drama is an effective means of expressing the rhetoric of important historical figures.
-
74. [Article] An impact evaluation of home improvement loans on neighborhood decline: the case of Portland, Oregon
Recently federal policy aimed at halting decline in urban neighborhoods has included a major focus on housing rehabilitation efforts. In the case of Portland, Oregon, federally funded improvement loans ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- An impact evaluation of home improvement loans on neighborhood decline: the case of Portland, Oregon
- Author:
- Larkin, Geri
- Year:
- 1980
Recently federal policy aimed at halting decline in urban neighborhoods has included a major focus on housing rehabilitation efforts. In the case of Portland, Oregon, federally funded improvement loans for owner-occupied housing units resulted in the rehabilitation of almost four thousand homes from 1975 until 1978, over twice the number of homes rehabilitated in any other city in the nation. The purpose of the present study was to examine and analyze the city's rehabilitation loan program in two ways. First, the loan process itself was examined to ascertain whether there were any deficiencies in the loan program which should be corrected. The second, and primary, focal point was the specific neighborhoods where rehabilitation loans have been funneled. The impact of the loan programs on the neighborhoods as communicated by their residents determined how successful Portland has been in dealing with urban decline through its loan programs. Prior to gathering primary data on the neighborhoods, several secondary sources of information were used. The Portland Development Commission's in-house evaluations of the loan process demonstrated strong recipient support for the program. A survey of loan recipient files showed loans going to low income families with few assets. Although half of the loans went to married couples, a substantial number of loans went to divorced women and widows. The majority of rehabilitated homes were over fifty years old, and their median assessed value was $16,500. Secondary data was also used to look at outside perceptions of changes taking place in loan neighborhoods. Real estate trends and mortgage and home improvement loan activities suggested that the impact of the government loan programs has not yet been substantial enough to trigger changes in private policies related to the neighborhoods. Primary data for the study came from a random sample survey of four hundred persons in four Portland neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods, one in the north section of the city and one in southeast, where loans have been given, were paired with two control neighborhoods where loans were not available. The survey instrument used contained 72 variables chosen as capable of determining what the impact of the loan program has been on loan recipients, their neighbors, and their neighborhoods. Four outcomes could have stemmed from the loan programs. The first possibility was that people living in the neighborhoods where Housing and Community Development loans have been granted should feel more positive about their neighborhood than those not living in HCD neighborhoods. A second consequence could have been that HCD neighborhoods are upgrading socio-economically. Third, HCD neighborhood residents simply may not have perceived improvements in their neighborhoods, or fourth, even if they perceive improvements, they do not show significantly higher levels of satisfaction with their neighborhoods than holds true for respondents living in the control neighborhoods. The data indicated that although residents in HCD neighborhoods do perceive improvements taking place in their neighborhoods, their levels of satisfaction with their neighborhoods are not significantly higher than satisfaction levels in non-loan neighborhoods. Socio-economic changes may be taking place in the Southeast HCD neighborhood. As for the loan process, the program was rated highly by the recipients of the loans, both in in-house evaluations done for the Portland Development Commission and as reported in the neighborhood survey. The study concludes that the city's efforts provided a solid first step in developing a strong commitment to strengthening inner city neighborhoods, but it is only a first step. A stronger commitment, particularly on the part of private industry, is needed to end urban neighborhood decline.
-
Currently, there exists no conclusive etiology of child abuse although there are two major and contrasting theories which attempt to impart a systematic interpretation to the data. The purpose of this ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Toward a theory of child abuse: a review of the literature
- Author:
- Maden, Marc F.
- Year:
- 1975
Currently, there exists no conclusive etiology of child abuse although there are two major and contrasting theories which attempt to impart a systematic interpretation to the data. The purpose of this study was to determine what are the significant factors in child abuse and to what extent the respective theories render a coherent and comprehensive explanation of these factors. This study aggregated the data on the demographic, social, economic, and psychological features of the child abuse victim and perpetrator. Each study was analyzed according to a methodology of review which considered the problems involved in eliciting meaningful data from a group of studies grounded on different assumptions and conducted according to disparate research designs. The studies were compared and contrasted to determine what factors were significantly related to child abuse. Thereafter, both major theories of child abuse were tested against the findings of the literature review to determine to what extent the respective theories successfully predicted and related significant factors in child abuse. The review of the literature clearly established a demographic profile of the child abuse victim and his family. The abused child is usually very young, typically below the age of three. Neither race nor gender are specifically related to the age of the victim. Abusing families tend to have more than the average number of children, but usually select only one child - frequently, the eldest or the youngest - as the target for abuse. The child is likely to have been born prematurely and to have had more than the usual number of serious physical illnesses or disabilities throughout his life. In addition, a significant number of abused children display intellectual, social, and psychological dysfunction which may have resulted from injuries sustained from previous abuse. Most injuries stemming from child abuse fall into the general category of superficial bruises and welts although compared with accidental childhood injuries, there is a higher frequency of fractures and head injuries. The pattern that emerges from the somewhat limited data is that abused children are unusually impaired in intellectual, social, and psychological functioning. Nearly all child abuse is committed by parental figures most of whom are the natural mothers and fathers of abused children. Most abusing parents are around twenty-five years old reflecting the fact that the majority of abuse victims are infants and younger children. Mothers are the most frequent child abusers. Although only one parent actually attacks the abuse victim, generally speaking, the other parent is overtly, or at least covertly involved in abusing the child. Abusing parents are characterized by a history of anti-social behavior and psychological problems. A general atmosphere of instability and disruption surrounds the child abusing family indicated by frequent discord among married parents, as well as separations and divorces. On all measures of socioeconomic status, child abusing families have low achievement and face the stresses of poverty and its associated conditions. However, neither race nor socioeconomic status distinguish the abusing family when compared with the social, racial, and economic groups to which they belong. Abusing families are distinguished by their transience and inability to maintain social contact with the community or affiliation with social organizations. Neither a sociocultural or a psychodynamic theory of child abuse effectively relates and explains all the significant findings of the literature review. While the former predicts the several environmental factors significantly related to child abuse and the latter explains the significant findings associated with the perpetrator, neither theory provides an explanation of the role of the child abuse victim. This review suggests that an alternative theoretical framework which incorporates environmental factors and relates significant factors about the child abuse victim and perpetrator will produce the most comprehensive explanation of child abuse.
-
76. [Article] Continuance vs. discontinuance in family counseling
The study was designed to examine the social workers' and clients’ perceptions of change in the treatment process; specifically to examine the question of why clients discontinue service prior to planful ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Continuance vs. discontinuance in family counseling
- Author:
- Anderson, Katherine, Dudley, Alice, Rocks, Mayetta
- Year:
- 1971
The study was designed to examine the social workers' and clients’ perceptions of change in the treatment process; specifically to examine the question of why clients discontinue service prior to planful termination. Also, the authors attempted to assess the client's perception of gain and the worker's assessment of gain. Significant Findings Seventy-two per cent of the clients who responded to the questionnaire felt they had been helped. In those cases where the client indicated he had received no help or that his situation became worse, the authors found that the client often indicated that his spouse was unable or unwilling to participate in treatment. These clients also often indicated that they had divorced. The client tended to rate the gains he made from treatment slightly higher than the worker rated them. The inability or unwillingness of the spouse to participate in the treatment process was seen as an important reason for discontinuance before six interviews were completed. The client seemed more likely to indicate fee as a reason for termination of service after six interviews. Clients who paid no fee were more likely to terminate in an unplanned manner before six interviews. If the client paid any fee, his termination was more likely to be planful. Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Research The authors recommend, as in the study done by Dr. Dan Jennings, that any questionnaire mailed out by the agency in the future be a more immediate follow-up to treatment, that is, there is a need for further exploration of the optimum time for follow-up study. A future questionnaire might be returned to the individual practitioner so that he could evaluate the service. Also a planned follow-up of this sort might result in the practitioner reaching out to the client to re-involve him in the treatment process if the client so indicated the need on the returned questionnaire. Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Research The authors recommend that workers indicate clearly on the statistical cards which members of the family were seen in order to facilitate and expedite data gathering. The statistical cards give assessment of service in terms of gain only. The authors recommend that because service is not always gainful, that there be a place on the statistical card to so indicate this. The situation may be so deteriorated that in the worker's assessment there is no ability on the part of the client for motivation, capacity and opportunity for change. On the basis of the data derived from the questionnaire, the authors recommend that further exploratory study be done in the following areas: (a) In the cases where the spouse is unable or unwilling to participate in the treatment process. (b) In the cases where the clients who paid no fee were more likely to terminate unplanned and before six interviews. The authors recommend, as in the study done by Dr. Dan Jennings, that any questionnaire mailed out by the agency in the future be a more immediate follow-up to treatment, that is, there is a need for further exploration of the optimum time for follow-up study. A future questionnaire might be returned to the individual practitioner so that he could evaluate the service. Also a planned follow-up of this sort might result in the practitioner reaching out to the client to re-involve him in the treatment process if the client so indicated the need on the returned questionnaire. Findings in this study showed that the critical period for clients continuance seems to be within the first five interviews. The author recommend that further exploratory study be done on this critical period of treatment.
-
Symbolic interaction theory indicates that an individual's self-concept is related to the way in which the individual perceives others as responding to him/her. Although this theory is widely accepted ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The relationship between self-concept and responses of others during a marital crisis
- Author:
- Farr, Kathryn Ann
- Year:
- 1975
Symbolic interaction theory indicates that an individual's self-concept is related to the way in which the individual perceives others as responding to him/her. Although this theory is widely accepted in social psychology, it has been given little empirical attention. In this study a typological model was developed in an empirical examination of the relationship between self-concept and responses of others during marital crisis. Self-concept was defined as the organization of qualities (roles, social-psychological feelings) that an individual assigns to himself/herself. Kind of qualities were described, and social-psychological feelings about self were examined on a positive to negative continuum. Responses of others were defined as the kind and amount of support perceived by respondents as being given to them by others (relatives, friends, dates, husband, children) during marital separation. Kinds of support were described, and amount of support was examined on a positive to negative continuum. The typological model was developed from interviews with fifteen white, middle and upper middle class women between the ages of 25 and 35 who were separated but not legally divorced from their husbands. The interviews consisted of two parts: 1) an in-depth, open-ended interview between respondent and researcher aided by a guide; 2) a standardized questionnaire in which respondents rated their perceptions of self and responses of others on a positive to negative scale. Five types of self-concept/responses of others relationships were found and described. These types were labeled: 1) New Lifers; 2) Revisors; 3) Adaptors; 4) Endurers; 5) Mourners. In all types a positive relationship was found between self-concept and responses of others. This" positive relationship was most clearly indicated in the extreme types, i.e., the New Lifers were characterized by a high positive self-concept and high, positive responses from others, whereas the Mourners were characterized by a high negative self-concept and lack of or negative responses from others. In addition to the quality and quantity of support, five other factors were found to be related to self-concept during marital separation. These factors, incorporated into the model as properties of the types, were: 1) who initiated the separation; 2) the presence or absence of an understanding of what led to the marital dissolution; 3) how the separation was defined by the respondent; 4) self-concept and situation prior to separation; 5) commitment to marriage. Also, certain common reactions to dissolution were reported by the women in all types: 1) loneliness; 2) fear or anxiety; 3) growing awareness of capabilities; 4) changing emotions; 5) feelings of social isolation; 6) the desire for close intimate opposite-sex relationships. These commonalities were discussed, and their implications for further research were set forth.
-
A primary aim of bereavement research is to alleviate suffering and promote well-being at the junction of life and death for the survivor in an attachment relationship. Bereavement research in the last ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- A Bioecological Model of Grief Recovery : Theory and Test of the Model
- Author:
- Romo, Daniel L.
A primary aim of bereavement research is to alleviate suffering and promote well-being at the junction of life and death for the survivor in an attachment relationship. Bereavement research in the last decade has focused primarily on examining grief recovery within the context of intrapersonal processes. This emphasis has often ignored peer, family, and cultural influences on adjustment to loss. As a result, targeted grief interventions have largely been limited to adaptive and maladaptive factors within the individual. Evidence from recent research suggests the importance of taking into account contextual factors within the social environment that have bidirectional influences on the individual, and function as potential deficits or resources for grief recovery over time. Thus, a comprehensive framework for the simultaneous consideration of person-environment transactions, rather than just a strict emphasis on intrapersonal processes, is essential to advancing the current understanding of grief recovery. To address this gap, this study presents a bioecological model of grief recovery with the addition of a 'loss system' level of influence--capturing characteristics of the deceased, circumstances of the death, and the relationship between the bereaved and the deceased prior to the death--to simultaneously account for the person- and environment-level systems of influence. The implications of this theoretical model are described for two different types of loss: death of spouse in older adults and death of a child. To move this model from theory to real-world application, the viability of the model was tested by empirically contrasting it with an individual-level (intrapersonal) model of grief recovery as applied to spousal bereavement in later life. An archived longitudinal data set (the Changing Lives of Older Couples data) was the basis for growth curve models examining the trajectory of grief several years after death of spouse. The individual-level model focused on the intrapersonal predictors known to influence grief recovery, while the bioecological model included the same intrapersonal predictors as well as loss system predictors. In sum, the analyses provided evidence that having relatively high levels of death acceptance and religiosity prior to the death of a spouse is associated with improved psychological health in the early stages of widowhood. Although the bioecological growth curve model did not evidence a better fit than the individual model in this study, it remains a useful framework accounting for a broader range of influences, with the loss system as a key to advancing bereavement research. Moreover, psychological adjustment to the death of a loved one is merely one type of life event that can be understood using this model of grief recovery. Although the theoretical and empirical models presented here represent only a limited approximation of the more complex phenomena of a human reaction when a spouse dies, it provides a new, more comprehensive framework for understanding grief and how it changes over time. Perhaps its greatest utility lies in its theoretical conceptualization of a loss system, and how that loss system can be tested using growth curve statistical models as described in Manuscript 2. This novel approach holds great promise for bereavement researchers. In addition, Manuscript 1 showed how researchers can adapt this framework to model different types of loss experiences, particularly those with strong parallels to the death of a loved one, such as relationship dissolution and divorce. Similarly, this model could be applied empirically to loss experiences such as progressive illness, disability, infertility, and disaster. Variables included in the bioecological systems should be modified accordingly to reflect and allow measurement of the type of loss, life circumstances, culture, and context of the population under study.
-
The study explored a model that integrates human capital, family resource, employment and psychosocial factors to explain variation in economic self-sufficiency (ESS) among single mothers. A sample of ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The transition of single mothers on public assistance to economic self-sufficiency : an analysis of human capital, family resource, employment and psychosocial factors
- Author:
- Parker, Louise Anne
The study explored a model that integrates human capital, family resource, employment and psychosocial factors to explain variation in economic self-sufficiency (ESS) among single mothers. A sample of 851 single mothers on Aid to Families with Dependent Children was selected from the Washington State Family Income Study data base. Data from a three-year period (6/88-5/91) were utilized to describe and analyze single mothers in transition from welfare. When compared to a sample of non-poor single mothers, mothers on public assistance differed significantly in several ways: They were younger, had more children and were more likely to have parents who received public assistance. Educational levels were significantly lower, as was employment activity. Economic self-sufficiency was measured as the ratio of welfare benefits to household income. Degree of ESS improved over the three-year period: While 60 percent of single mothers relied on welfare for more than half their income in the first year, only 45 percent did by the third year. In analyzing differences in degrees of economic self-sufficiency among single mothers, the following groups of mothers had significantly higher degrees of welfare reliance: never-married and divorced mothers; mothers with a child under age two; mothers with three or more children; non-white mothers; and mothers living in public housing. A path analysis was conducted to determine the relative influence of human capital, family resource, employment and psychosocial factors on later economic self-sufficiency. Number of children and receipt of subsidies positively affected welfare reliance. Education, number of adults in the household and number of months employed negatively affected degree of welfare reliance. A key finding was that, after controlling for differences in human capital, family resources and employment activity, workplace support retained a highly significant, inverse relationship with degree of welfare reliance. Sense of personal control and social support had both direct and indirect effects on degree of welfare reliance, establishing that psychosocial factors mediate impacts of human capital, family and employment factors on economic self-sufficiency. The results support the viability of utilizing stress models to examine objective economic outcomes in future research.
-
80. [Article] Some factors associated with reconciliation decisions among couples with marital problems
The purpose of the study was to investigate the nature of marital interaction that occurs at the point at which couples with problems seek assistance from an agency specifically designed to deal with marital ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Some factors associated with reconciliation decisions among couples with marital problems
- Author:
- Kelley, Roselene Jensen
The purpose of the study was to investigate the nature of marital interaction that occurs at the point at which couples with problems seek assistance from an agency specifically designed to deal with marital problems. Efforts were made to learn more about the nature of the marital relationship in general, and conditions under which individuals who seek counseling arrive at a decision to reconcile or not to reconcile. Specifically, the marital interaction, as measured by an affection-companionship index (ACI), and a hostility index (HOS), of couples who were referred for, or who voluntarily requested the services of the Marriage Counselor's Office of the Domestic Relations Division of The Superior Court, County of Sacramento, was investigated. The sample consisted of 83 couples, drawn on the basis of their willingness to cooperate. The Marriage Questionnaire, developed by James L. Hawkins, PhD was used to assess marital interaction, and yielded a single score for a married couple on both affection-companionship and hostility, as reflected in the reported overt behaviors of the couple. The study focused on the ACI and HOS variables in relationship to the decision of the couple concerning their immediate future marital relationship, or their reconciliation decision. Couples were classified on the basis of these decisions and were categorized as follows: 1) decision to reconcile (R), 2) decision to refuse reconciliation (RR), and 3) reconciliation decision unknown to the Marriage Counselor's Office, which consisted of the subgroups off-calendar (OC) and petition-dismissed (PD). The possibility that other factors relating to marital status might be associated with reconciliation decisions of these couples was also investigated. The specific hypotheses tested were: 1. There is no difference among the three reconciliation decision groups, R, RR, and RU, with regard to ACI scores or to HOS scores. 2. There is a significant negative correlation between HOS and ACI within the entire sample and within each of the reconciliation decision groups. 3. There is no difference in HOS scores of court-referred couples and non-court-referred couples regardless of reconciliation decision. 4. Among couples receiving counseling there is no difference in the number who do reconcile and the number who do not reconcile within this particular sample. 5. Reconciliation decision is independent of: present ages of marriage partners, duration of marriage, incidence of children younger than ten years, incidence of separation, and duration of separation. Results indicated differences, significant at the five per cent level, in both HOS and ACI between the R group and PD group, in HOS only between the RR and PD group, and in ACI only between the R and RR groups. No differences resulted in either ACI or HOS between OC and PD, R and OC, and RR and OC. No significant relationship was found between the number of couples who reconcile and the number of couples who refuse reconciliation following counseling. A significant negative correlation (-.575) between ACI and HOS was found within the R group, and no relationship was found within any one of the RR, OC, or PD groups. The reconciliation decision of couples was found to be independent of age of the marriage partners, the duration of marriage, the incidence of children younger than ten years of age, or the duration of separation. However, reconciliation decision was found to be significantly related to incidence of separation at the .001 level of confidence. It was concluded from the results of the study that differences do exist in affection-companionship and hostility between certain reconciliation decision groups, and that for reconciled couples, at least, a significant negative relationship exists between ACI and HOS. The affection-companionship index, as measured by the Marriage Questionnaire, discriminates between reconciled couples and couples who refuse to reconcile. Marital separation is associated with the reconciliation decision of these couples. The study points up the need for further research.