2. Marriages and Committed Partnerships
Chapter 7
Marriages and Committed Partnerships

3. Topics to Cover Overview of contemporary marriage trends
Health benefits of happy marriages
Historical examination of marriage
Types of marriages
Marital problems
Healthy relationship processes
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

4. Overview of contemporary marriage trends
Explain some of the factors that constitute the “deinstitutionalization” of marriage.
Overview of contemporary marriage trends
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

5. Evolving Trends in Marriage
Overview of contemporary marriage trends
Evolving Trends in Marriage
The 1970s saw “his” marriage compared to “her” marriage
While attitudes and desires have changed, behavior has not
Second shift
Marriage as an institution
Related to why people get married
Pure relationships
The deinstitutionalization of marriage
Marriage as an enforceable trust
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

6. Health benefits of happy marriages
Discuss the impact of marriage on biological health for men versus women.
Health benefits of happy marriages
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

7. Health Benefits of happy marriages
Cultural Variations
Conflictual or unhappy marriages have profound effects on health
Make health problems worse
Increase likelihood of dying from disease
Higher heart rate, stress hormones
Lower immune functioning
Different for men and women
Happy marriages act as a buffer against health problems
Received support versus perceived support
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

8. A historical examination of marriage
Describe some key historical changes that influenced current marriage beliefs and practices.
A historical examination of marriage
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

9. A Historical Examination of Marriage
Preindustrialization
Ancient Rome: Only the wealthy could marry
Passion had no place in marital unions
Early Christians: Marriage a corrupting institution
Family interests, spiritual leaders, and supernatural influences
Slavery and interracial relations
19th century
Wives as property and subordinates
“If women and men marry those whom they do not love, they must love those whom they do not marry”
Kin marriages
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

10. Explain the benefits and disadvantages of various types of marriage, including the arguments for and against same-sex marriage.
Types of marriage
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

11. Types of Marriages Cohabitation and common law marriages
Covenant marriages
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

12. Same-Sex Marriages: A Brief History
Types of marriages
Same-Sex Marriages: A Brief History
Baehr v. Lewin
Restrictions on marriage violate the equal protection clause of the constitution
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1994
Domestic partnerships
Separate, but equal
Same-sex marriage outlawed around world and in United States
Negative campaigns and stigmatization
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender relationships compared to heterosexual relationships
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

13. Interracial Marriages
Types of marriages
Interracial Marriages
Loving v. Virginia, 1953
“Racial hygiene laws”
Remnant of the eugenics movement
Social Dominance Theory
Structural-Functionalism
Social dominance orientation
Dominance and hierarchy should be maintained
Demographic variables and Interracial marriage
Are white women taking all the “good” black men?
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

14. Intercultural Marriages
Types of marriages
Intercultural Marriages
Marriage difficulties and cultural differences
Bicultural identities
Consanguineal versus affinal family relationships
Three models of intercultural marriage:
Cultural assimilation
Structural assimilation
Marital assimilation
Emigration, immigration, and marriage
The Viet Kieu
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

15. Types of marriages
Arranged Marriages
Most common in Asian, Middle-Eastern, and African countries
Types of arranged marriage:
Traditional
Modified traditional
Cooperative traditional
Indian people in the United States perceive benefits of arranged marriage
Many are happy and successful
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

16. Identify common problems faced in marriage and how couples can prevent and solve them.
Marital problems
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

17. Marital Problems Infidelity Unresolved conflict
Martial problems
Marital Problems
Infidelity
Many spouses cheat
Workplaces: breeding grounds for infidelity
Genetic contributions
Unresolved conflict
Financial issues, sex frequency, and communication
Healthy and unhealthy conflict resolution processes
Financial infidelity
Unrealistic relationship perceptions
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

18. Healthy relationship processes
Discuss processes and practices that are important for the maintenance of healthy relationships.
Healthy relationship processes
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

19. Healthy Relationship Processes
Premarital counseling
Solution-focused therapy
Focus on here-and-now
Social constructionist orientation
Positive versus negative interactions
“The four horsemen of the relationship apocalypse”
Look for true longing in complaints
Peer marriages
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

20. Healthy Relationship Processes
Lesbian, gay, and transgender relationships
Dyadic coping and stress
Involves both partners
Protective buffering, active engagement, cognitive reframe, and delegated dyadic coping
Negative dyadic coping
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

21. Chapter Summary
Explain some factors that constitute the “deinstitutionalization” of marriage.
Discuss the impact of marriage on biological health for men versus women.
Describe some key historical changes that influenced current marriage beliefs and practices.
Explain the benefits and disadvantages of various types of marriage, including the arguments for and against same-sex marriage.
Identify common problems faced in marriage and how couples can prevent and solve them.
Discuss processes and practices that are important for the maintenance of healthy relationships.
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.

22. Open-access student resources
Mobile-friendly quizzes
Mobile-friendly eFlashcards
Learning objective summaries
Video and multimedia resources
SAGE journal articles
Checklist action plan
edge.sagepub.com/howem&f2e
Howe, Marriages & Families in the 21st Century 2e. SAGE Publishing, 2018.