Healthy Marriage Programs: Learning What Works
| Autor: | M. Robin Dion |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2005 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Health (social science) Sociology and Political Science media_common.quotation_subject Social Welfare jel:I Cultural diversity Institution Humans Family Interpersonal Relations Marriage Child Healthy Marriage Family Support Health Education Poverty Curriculum media_common Family Characteristics Communication Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health United States Disadvantaged Government Programs Sexual abuse Research Design Well-being Female Psychology Social psychology Marriage promotion |
| Zdroj: | The Future of Children. 15:139-156 |
| ISSN: | 1550-1558 |
| DOI: | 10.1353/foc.2005.0016 |
| Popis: | Summary Evidence of public and private interest in programs designed to strengthen the institution of marriage and reduce the number of children growing up without both their parents is growing. Robin Dion addresses the question of whether such programs can be effective, especially among disadvantaged populations. She begins by describing a variety of marriage education programs. Although new to the social welfare umbrella, such programs have existed for several decades. Social scientists have evaluated a number of these programs and found them effective in improving relationship satisfaction and communication among romantically involved couples. All the programs tested so far, however, have served primarily white, middle-class, well-educated couples who were engaged or already married. Because these programs were neither designed for nor tested with disadvantaged populations, Dion observes, there is some question whether they can respond to the unique needs and circumstances of low-income couples, many of whom have multiple stressors and life challenges that can make stable relationships and marriages especially difficult. New research suggests that lowincome families often face specific relationship issues that are rarely addressed in the standard programs, such as lingering effects of prior sexual abuse, lower levels of trust and commitment, and lack of exposure to positive role models for marriage. Dion describes the recent efforts of several groups to adapt research-supported marriage education programs or create entirely new curriculums so they are more responsive to and respectful of the needs of low-income families. Finally, Dion describes ongoing efforts by the Administration for Children and Families to evaluate rigorously the effectiveness of several healthy marriage initiative models being implemented on a large scale across the country. These evaluations will determine whether such programs can work with less advantaged and more culturally diverse families, including whether the impacts on couples’ relationships will translate into positive effects on the well-being of their children. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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