Associations among family -of -origin, dating patterns, and single adults' conceptualizations of marriage
Abstract
The purpose of the current research was to examine the meaning that the institution of marriage can hold for young, unmarried adults, and how that meaning related to self-reported family-of-origin and dating experiences/circumstances. Using Symbolic Interactionism as a theoretical framework, it was proposed that subjective interpretation of marriage would be associated with intimate human interaction, such as with family members and dating partners. Furthermore, this marital meaning could have implications for decisions people make regarding dating and marriage before (and if) they marry, as well as for how they behave once married. Based on a review of literature, it was concluded that a broader, more comprehensive approach to studying what young adults believe about marriage could yield a richer theoretical conceptualization of how marital meaning can vary among individuals. Additionally, it was proposed that the content of the literature that focused on cognitions and ideals relevant to marriage could be organized into six themes: a special status of marriage, self-fulfillment, level of individualism, romanticism, hierarchy/roles, and implicit theories of that static or dynamic definition of marriage. An extensive self-report survey was completed by 531 undergraduate students enrolled at Purdue University that included 43 belief statements about marriage that were encompassed within the six themes that emerged from a review of literature. In addition, the survey included various items that focused on past family (i.e. parents' relationship, parent-child relationship, etc.) and dating (i.e. onset of sexual intercourse, relationship status, etc.) interaction/circumstances. Via Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, three dimensions of marital meaning were identified among the belief statements: a self-orientation toward marriage, a hierarchical role-structure to marriage, and an idealization of marriage. Multiple regression analyses indicated that in general, both (perceived) family-of-origin and dating contexts associated with the dimensions of marital meaning, and that the pattern of associations (sets of significant variables) was unique for each of the three dimensions. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for additional research and of increasing understanding of the processes that may underlie the associations among family, dating, and marital meaning.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
MacDermid, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
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