Digital Commons Network^™

Between Tradition And Progress: A Comparative Perspective On Polygamy In The United States And India, Cyra Akila Choudhury

University of Colorado Law Review

Both the United States and India have had longstanding experiences with polygamy and its regulation. In the United States, the dominant Protestant majority has sought to abolish Mormon practices of polygamy through criminalization. Moreover, a public policy exception has been used to deny recognition of plural marriages conducted legally elsewhere. India's approach to polygamy regulation and criminalization has been both similar to and different from that of the United States. With a sizable Muslim minority and a legal framework that recognizes religious law as family law, India recognizes polygamy in the Muslim minority community. However, it has criminalized it in …

The First Father: Perspectives On The President's Fatherhood Initiative, Jessica Dixon Weaver

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

This short article presents an analysis of the thirteen-year-old President's Fatherhood Initiative utilized by the executive branch to tackle the problem of absent fathers in America. It argues that this social policy attempts to recapture the economic incentives central to the controversial Moynihan Report of 1965, emphasizing patriarchal and classist solutions to America's family crisis. The programs instituted by the Fatherhood Initiative stigmatize black and brown fathers and fail to address underlying government policy issues that impact their ability to be present and financially supportive in their children's lives. The programs still emphasize the marriage dyad as a cure-all rather …

Of Wife And The Domestic Servant In The Arab World, Lama Abu-Odeh

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The author asserts to avoid common misunderstandings on the relevance of Sharia to modern women in the Arab World that a) Shari’s relevance to the lives of modern women in the Arab World has been largely confined to the area of family law, b) in the modern nation state Sharia has been codified, i.e., certain rules derived from Islamic jurisprudence on the family have been selected and passed as laws, each nation state having its own unique combination of such rules, c) the courts and the judges who adjudicate disputes on family law are either secular courts/judges, or judges trained …

Examining Relationships Among Income, Individual And Relationship Distress, And Outcomes In Marriage And Relationship Education For Low-To-Moderate Income Married Couples, Ryan G. Carlson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study utilized data from a federally-funded healthy marriage grant to examine pre, post, and three-to-six month follow-up changes in relationship satisfaction (as measured by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale total scores) and individual distress (as measured by the Outcomes Questionnaire 45.2). Additionally, the study evaluated income and dosage as predictors of relationship satisfaction and individual distress change at post-assessment and three-to-six month follow-up. Participants included 220 married individuals with children who completed PREP 7.0 (Prevention Relationship Enhancement Program). A repeated measures, split plot, MANOVA indicated statistically significant improvements in relationship satisfaction and individual distress for participants at post-assessment and …

A Horrible Fascination: Segregation, Obscenity, & The Cultural Contingency Of Rights, Anders Walker

All Faculty Scholarship

Building on current interest in the regulation of child pornography, this article goes back to the 1950s, recovering a lost history of how southern segregationists used the battle against obscenity to counter the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Itself focused on the psychological development of children, Brown sparked a discursive backlash in the South focused on claims that the races possessed different cultures and that white children would be harmed joined a larger, regional campaign, a constitutional guerilla war mounted by moderates and extremists alike that swept onto cultural, First Amendment terrain even as the frontal …

Adolescent Violent Victimization And Precocious Union Formation, Danielle C. Kuhl, David F. Warner, Andrew Wilczak

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This article bridges scholarship in criminology and family sociology by extending arguments about “precocious exits” from adolescence to consider early union formation as a salient outcome of violent victimization for youths. Research indicates that early union formation is associated with several negative outcomes; yet the absence of attention to union formation as a consequence of violent victimization is noteworthy. We address this gap by drawing on life course theory and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine the effect of violent victimization (“street” violence) on the timing of first coresidential union formation—differentiating between marriage …

Symposium Defense Of Marriage Act: Law, Policy, And The Future Of Marriage: Forword, Joseph Landau

Fordham Law Review

On March 30, 2012, the Fordham Law Review held a daylong conference on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a statute enacted in 1996 with large majorities in both the House and Senate and signed into law by President Clinton. The Symposium could not have come at a better time: there have been extraordinary changes in the political dynamics surrounding relationship rights since DOMA’s enactment in 1996, when same–sex couples could not marry in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction. Currently, same–sex couples can legally marry in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Nine additional states have broad …

Integrating Equal Marriage, Robin A. Lenhardt

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Proposal For A Feasible, First-Step, Legislative Agenda For Divorce Reform, Alan J. Hawkins

Faculty Publications

American sociologist Andrew Cherlin argues that the institutional boundaries of marriage have shrunk; marriage no longer effectively governs intimate associations before marriage, or structures "proper" pathways to the desired goal of healthy, stable marriage. Personal development and individual emotions are at the core of modern marriage, rather than societal expectations and religious and civil norms. Accordingly, marriages are held together now by internal, psychological forces rather than external, societal forces, and these bonds are substantially weaker. As a result, divorce is common, with about half ending within twenty years; second marriages have even higher rates of disruption. While the divorce …

The Relationship Between Married Partners' Individual And Relationship Distress: An Actor-Partner Analysis Of Low-Income, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Couples In Relationship Education, Matthew D. Munyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Couples experiencing relationship distress often require professional help, such as counseling and couple and relationship education (CRE). Research recently discovered that among couples in counseling, a circular relationship exists between individual and relationship distress-stress begets stress. Until this study, a similar examination had not been conducted among couples selecting CRE. This study examined the relationship between individual and relationship distress among married couples that had children, were from predominantly low-income and racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and selected CRE. A correlational research design was employed and framed in the social interdependence theory. The actor-partner interdependence model was conducted within a …

(Re)Defining < Marriage >: An Autohistoria Of An Ideograph, Robert Gutierrez

Master's Theses

This study explores as an ideograph in the law and everyday life through an analysis of private and public texts and embodied acts. The purpose of this study was to engage intersectionally as a power structure with wide-ranging influence over society to locate resistance. Utilizing rhetorical methods, this work examined archives and repertoires through an autohistoria of a queer Chicano male before the passage of Proposition 8, the California Constitutional Amendment that banned for LGBTQ couples. By exploring through metaphors and performative writing, this study constructs in the tradition of the shaman to present new possibilities for and queer theory.

The Impact Of Cross-Cultural Transition On Intercultural Relationships Using A Strengths-Based Approach, Kristen Naylor Calderon

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the ways in which intercultural relationships are affected by cross-cultural transition through the lens of the female experience. Specifically, this research examined (1) in what ways women felt that cross-cultural transition impacted their relationship, especially with regards to cultural values and male-female role taking; and (2) what kinds of benefits women experienced in their relationships as a result of moving across cultures with their partner. A total of 15 non-Chilean women in intercultural relationships with Chilean men were interviewed; all women had lived with their partners in her home country and then moved together to Chile.

Results …

A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Men's Attitudes Toward Marriage, Rabiatu Barrie

Dissertations

The decline in the rate of marriage in the African American community has been documented in both the empirical literature and pop culture. Initially researchers postulated that the upward mobility of African American women had diminished their to marry, but studies found opposing evidence to that theory and so the focus switched to African American men. Early studies about African American men and marriage indicated that the sex-ratio imbalance, the educational disparity between African American men and women that leads to economic frailty was the major cause of the disparity in marriage (James et al 1999, Davis, Emerson, & Williams, …

Attitudes Toward Marriage, Divorce, Cohabitation, And Casual Sex Among Working-Age Latinos: Does Religion Matter?, Christopher G. Ellison, Nicholas H. Wolfinger, Aida I. Ramos-Wada

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

The rapid growth of the Latino population in the United States has renewed interest in Latino family research. It has often been assumed that Catholicism is a key factor influencing Latinos’ attitudes toward the family, despite the fact that nearly one third of Latinos are not Catholic. This article uses data from the 2006 National Survey of Religion and Family Life, a survey of working-age adults (aged 18-59 years) in the lower 48 states, to explore the relationship between multiple dimensions of religiosity—denomination, church attendance, prayer, and beliefs about the Bible—and Latinos’ attitudes regarding marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and casual sex. …

Trying To Get A Good One' Bigamy Offences In England And Wales, 1850-1950, David Cox

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

Bigamy has attracted little attention from both criminologists and historians in the past few decades. This is perhaps understandable, as bigamy is an uncommon crime, no longer regarded as a major threat to the institution of marriage or familial stability, as divorce laws have made it much easier for couples to legally separate, and co-habitation outside marriage is much more common than in pre-World War II England and Wales. 2 However, this has not always been the case; before men and women could divorce on equal terms and without blame being apportioned, bigamy was seen as one way in which …

Private Parties, Legislators, And The Government's Mantle: On Intervention And Article Iii Standing, Suzanne B. Goldberg

Faculty Scholarship

This essay takes up questions regarding whether initiative proponents and legislators can defend a law in federal court when the government declines to defend. Looking first at intervention under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, I argue that neither has the cognizable interest needed to enter an ongoing lawsuit as a party. Yet even if they are allowed to intervene, these would-be defenders of state or federal law cannot take on the government’s mantle to satisfy Article III because the government’s standing derives from the risk to its enforcement powers, which is an interest that cannot be delegated to others. …

The Internationalization Of American Family Law, Barbara Stark

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Even fifty years ago, the United States was a superpower and Americans traveled for pleasure and worked abroad. Then, like now, the United States was a magnet for immigrants seeking freedom, or asylum, or opportunity. Then, like now, human relationships crossed geographical and political boundaries, challenging the limits of family law.

But globalization and the vast migrations of capital and labor that have accompanied it in recent decades have transformed family law in once unimaginable ways. Families have been torn apart and new families have been created. Borders have become more porous, allowing adoptees and mail order brides to join …

"Faith Is Life": A Qualitative Study Of Christian Faith And Chinese Immigrant Families, Yaxin Lu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research on religion and family in the United States has increased in the last two decades. With the increasing immigrant population, studies on minorities including Chinese immigrant families are also important. Religious faith has significant influences on some Chinese immigrant families. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between Christianity and Chinese immigrant families. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-two highly religious Chinese Christian couples in the Southern United States. Twenty-two open-ended questions were asked to understand their conversion processes and how the Christian faith influenced the participants’ marriage and family life. Most of the participants …

Making The Most Of Marriage Therapy, Jana Darrington, Naomi Brower, Eric Walker

All Current Publications

While meeting with a skilled marriage therapist can be helpful in strengthening a marriage, the couple greatly influences the effectiveness of the marriage therapy experience. This fact sheet concludes that aAn effective therapist can provide a framework to help couples work on their relationship, but the couple is ultimately in charge and has great influence in the goals, changes and outcomes based on their level of commitment and effort. By recognizing their own influence and importance, couples can take the lead in creating a satisfying and rewarding relationship that can last a lifetime.

How Jane Austen Uses Marriage To Get What She Wants, Hannah Eberle

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

As a biochemistry major approaching the subject of Jane Austen and feminism, I found the dichotomy between pleasure readers and critical readers interesting. How can books that are almost 200 years old draw so much attention from both quarters still today? In my thesis, I use Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma to discuss how Austen uses the marriage plot in the context of the 18th century. This plot device allows her to point out problems with marriage as a market, such as emphasis on wealth and the social setup that requires women to be "taken …

Impact Of Social Capital On Employment And Marriage Among Low Income Single Mothers, Jennifer A. Johnson, Julie A. Honnold, Perry Threlfall

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P. L. 104-93) called primarily on women to achieve two goals: work and/or marriage. For low income single mothers with limited access to capital, the PRWORA presents a quagmire in that the public safety nets previously guaranteed by the policies of the New Deal were abruptly supplanted by policies with obligations that require various forms of capital. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing dataset, we examine the impact of social capital on the chances of marriage and employment among single, unemployed mothers. We find …

Newlywed To Established Marriage: A Longitudinal Study Of Early Risk And Protective Factors That Influence Marital Satisfaction, Daniel Alfred Moen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This current study took questionnaire information from couples as newlyweds through five years of marriage in an attempt to discover the most significant predictors of marital satisfaction.

This study also used additional information from these couples to help understand how problem issues change from newlywed to established marriage (five or more years of marriage). This study found that experiencing a difficult transition to marriage as newlyweds was the only significant predictor of marriage satisfaction five years later. Meaning, couples who experienced a difficult transition to marriage as newlyweds tended to report lower levels of marital satisfaction five years later in …

The Metaphor Of Marriage In Hosea, Leif Harald Fredheim

Capstone Research Projects

No abstract provided.

God Discerns Definition Of Success In Life, Lawrence Frizzell

Department of Religion Publications

Cycle A liturgical readings for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 13, 2011: Pr 31:10-31; Ps 128; 1 Th 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30. This article was previously published in The Catholic Advocate.

Eve Disordered: The Relationship Of Feminine Happiness And Hierarchy In Paradise Lost, Jennifer Mccafferty

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Milton's Eve falls into sin when she attempts to upset the hierarchy by and for which she has been created, an attempt which offends on multiple levels. Her choice to disobey God's command violates her position in respect to him, and her desire to attain knowledge - a defining characteristic of masculinity in Milton's universe - encroaches on Adam's position while degrading the defining characteristic of her femininity - her beauty. However, an analysis of the simultaneously contractual and companionate marriage model that appears in Paradise Lost, paired with an appreciation for the historical context for Milton's depiction of the …

Marriage, Divorce, And Remarriage: Old Testament Foundations And New Testament Implications, Richard M. Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Till Death Do Us Part: Lived Experiences Of Hiv-Positive Married African American Women, Lorece V. Edwards, Shalon M. Irving, Anita S. Hawkins

The Qualitative Report

HIV/AIDS disease continues to be an escalating health problem, particularly among women. However, African American women are among the leading demographic groups for HIV prevalence in the United States. The typical woman with HIV/AIDS is young, in her late twenties, economically challenged, and of childbearing age. Participants were recruited from an HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic to explore their perceptions of social support, life experiences and marriage. Data were collected through tape-recorded interviews using a semi-structured guide and journaling. Participants reported that most of their time was spent providing care for their husbands who were HIV-positive. Very often their health and well-being …

Using Marriage To Protect White Supremacy And Heterosexual Privilege : A Historical Analysis Of Marriage Law In The United States, Katharine Franks Kyros

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study tracks the ways that the regulation of marriage in the United States has been used to oppress populations and protect privilege, specifically focusing on racial and heterosexual privilege. Looking at the intersection of oppression with marriage law in the United States, the more specific concepts of othering, marginalization, and institutional discrimination are addressed. The United States had laws prohibiting interracial marriage in place from 1630 until these laws were declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1967. Miscegenation laws were used to target and punish individuals engaging in relationships that threatened the social order. The exclusion of …

Understanding Mates, Marriage, Samuel Blanco

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

Satisfaction And Contributing Factors In Satisfying Long-Term Marriage: A Phenomenological Study, Mark A. Nimtz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated the subjective marital experiences of five couples married for more than forty years. Select participants responded to interview questions pertaining to the phenomena of marriage satisfaction and marriage longevity. Participants completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) to assure the phenomenon of satisfaction was experienced in the marriage.

The data was collected using semi-structured, conversational, recorded, transcribed interviews in which the participants were interviewed separately by same-sex interviewers within the participant couples’ homes. The marriage experiences and answers were compared and contrasted.

Two major themes emerged from the participants’ descriptions of satisfaction: “Togetherness” and “Children/Grandchildren.” Additionally, two …