The marriage and family therapy (MFT) field has made tremendous progress in acknowledging the importance of multicultural training. Nevertheless, multiculturally committed MFT trainers still struggle with issues of multicultural course design and delivery. In a subject so controversial and which requires a great deal of experience and skills to teach, little has been done in […]
Making positive and sustainable impacts on current and future marriages is more likely to occur when the community is actively engaged. Effective community collaborations create cultures and support mechanisms that help individuals and couples acquire the necessary skills and resources to form healthy and stable marriages. This article describes the function of community collaborations and […]
Coalitions that are interested in taking action on marriage-related issues need to have a good understanding of trends in marriage and divorce in their area. For example, coalitions that aim to reduce their divorce rates need reliable data on the prevalence of divorce in their area. Furthermore, it is important to know what data is […]
Adolescence is a key time to offer relationships/marriage education, as it is during adolescence that youth begin to actively explore romantic relationships. Providing effective relationships education can support positive youth development and help reduce impulsive and health-compromising behaviors. Relationships education also can facilitate movement toward well- functioning committed relationships and marriages in adulthood. This article […]
The Logic Model can help organizations design and implement more effective programs. It guides you from your present situation to your long-term goal through a series of progressive steps beginning with activities that lead to outputs and outcomes. As important, the Logic Model helps you to develop a more detailed action plan you can use […]
A significant proportion of marriages form stepfamilies. It is important for educators to recognize and consider these couples’ educational needs to ensure that they function well as a couple within the context of stepfamily development. From a review of the literature, we present prevalent issues and factors associated with healthy couple functioning in stepfamilies for […]
This book is a contribution to the conversation about what can and must be done to do a better job of “”people-making,”” especially “”child-making.”” And ultimately, we must discover and implement the science and art of making better families, communities, and, we hope, a better nation and global community. This is the work that Dr. […]
Commitment to the relationship is related to the quality of the relationship. It makes sense that people who commit themselves to a relationship are more likely to find rewards than those who invest sporadically or half-heartedly. This article reviews the various dimensions of commitment in intimate relationships, including commitment as an attraction, commitment as moral […]
The reciprocal connection between religion and family life makes the topic of religious intermarriage of particular importance in the sociology of religion. Spousal influences are key for motivating religious switching and other religious commitments. Religious intermarriage has also been shown to influence a host of other outcomes, including spousal conflict, domestic violence, divorce, and fertility. […]
Effective communication is critical for building and maintaining strong couple relationships. Communication includes more than words and grammar. In fact, the emotional layer of communication may be one of the most important for couples. This article reviews basic communication theory and lays the foundation for teaching emotional communication skills to couples. (Author abstract)