The Correlation Of Demographic And Psycho-Social Factors As Correlates Of Marital Adjustment Among Couples
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The Correlation Of Demographic And Psycho-Social Factors As Correlates Of Marital Adjustment Among Couples
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Background for the Study
Marital relationships are the core of family life because they entail the uniting of a man and a woman as husband and wife. Marriage is an integral aspect of culture, normally formalised by custom and legislation, and occasionally solemnised by religion. It serves to meet physiological, reproductive, social, emotional, and security needs. (Ebenuwa Okoh, 2003)
When married people marry, they always make a pledge to remain in the tie of unity and love “until death do us apart”. However, available marital breakdown statistics reveal that many married people who make such vows do not follow through on them (National Centre for Health Statistics, 1994).
Marital relationships are now a global phenomena that refers to the status of father, mother, and children, from royal families of princes and princesses to peasant farmers in current time. The current state of affairs among Nigerian married people leads one to believe that marriages are filled with joy.
On the other hand, marital maladjustment can arise when married people constantly nag, quarrel, or fight, which can lead to separation and divorce in extreme circumstances. Divorce is the result of an unhealthy marriage partnership.
It has had several traumatic impacts on society (Riches, 1991). A close examination of these implications reveals that some family lives and marriages that do not consider adjustment in their marital status are in serious trouble, but the collective understanding of individual differences has made the sustainability of such marital status much more suitable for survival (Banjo, 2001).
Similarly, statistics reveal that in America, for example, one out of every two marriages contacted ends in divorce (National Centre for Health Statistics, 2006).
This condition does not differ considerably in other countries of the world, including Nigeria. For example, in Nigeria, divorce records from the federal high court in Benin-city revealed that 99 divorces were granted within four years of marriage, resulting in.
In 2000, a study was conducted to address the issue of marital maladjustment. It discovered that there were 23 divorces: 32 in 2001, 19 in 2002, and 25 in 2003. The subordinate courts, such as Magistrate, Area, and Customary, most likely recorded more divorce cases.
According to the figures presented above, the rate of divorce cases is increasing in proportion to marital maladjustment. The example offered provides insight into the unsavoury fate of marriage in Nigeria.
Soon after the wedding, numerous things begin to unfold, such as selfishness in financial management and poor communication flow. Ebenuwa-Okoh (2007) Available facts and experience have demonstrated that many married people fail to achieve the marital bliss that they had hoped for. This is because marriage introduces a new, far more intimate dimension to the relationship.
Many married people may not have assessed their psychological abilities to manage adequately in marriage before entering into nuptials, thus they are unable to adjust to the demands of living together in such an intimate connection. Human society is dynamic. Social values, mass media, science, and technology are all constantly changing.
These changes have occurred so quickly that new social concerns have emerged, such as increased permissiveness and divorce rates. These developments have resulted in a new morality, including the breakdown of established norms and values.
This split of values has several repercussions. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), unplanned pregnancies and abortions, abandonment, and single parenthood.
These consequences have multiple dimensions and are producing significant problems in the marital sphere. (Edelman 2005). These changes have the potential to strain family connections beyond their limits.
When this happens, love, the actual foundation of marriage, dissolves. This leads to a breakdown in communication. As a result, sex life becomes unsatisfactory.
Nothing holds together, and mistrust develops (Eneh and Ndom, 1996; Agbe, 1998; Ezeh, 1998; and Mallum, 1999). This phenomenon has not received appropriate attention in our society.
The study investigates the extent to which communication flow, emotional expression, work involvement; gender, personality kinds, and duration of marriage explain changes in gender, personality types, and duration of marriage as predictors of marital adjustment.
Mainly, marital adjustment has been characterised by a variety of elements that are psychosocial and demographic in nature and serve as a determinant of the longevity of marital relationships. It should be highlighted that one of the most essential connections between men and women is marriage adjustment.
It entails emotional and legal commitment, which is essential in any adult’s existence. Furthermore, selecting a partner and entering into a married contract are regarded as both maturational milestones and personal accomplishments. There is no doubt that selecting a married spouse is one of the most crucial decisions one will make in their lifetime.
Despite the extent of marital adjustment in Nigerian couples, the study focusses on demographic and psychosocial characteristics as predictors of marital adjustment among Nigerian couples, with Ijebu-ode serving as the case study.
Statement of the Problem.
Marital harmony is a global social phenomena that has a significant impact on our lives. Many elements contribute to a successful married relationship, but economic resources are widely regarded as the most important.
Hence, Interpersonal problems in married life can cause significant stress among spouses and other family members, which, if continued, can lead to psychiatric issues.
It is anticipated that having an adequate understanding of the moderating effects of these variables on marital adjustment will allow for effective and efficient marital counselling among couples.
The advent of a wife into a family, in which many couples face loss of sleep, long years of infertility, sexual decline, economic stress, to name a few, as a correlation between marital adjustment among couples.
The purpose of the study
The study aims to look into the relationship between demographic and psychosocial characteristics and marital adjustment among couples in Ijebu-Ode local government. This is because interpersonal problems stem from variations in the roles that spouses play. The study sought the following:
1. Investigate couples’ marital adjustment trends and demographic parameters.
2. To link marital adjustment and psychosocial aspects.
3. To investigate the many factors influencing marital adjustment in Nigerian society.
4. To explore the impact of demographic and psychosocial factors on marital adjustment in couples.
5. To investigate the impact of counselling on marital adjustment and associated factors.
Research Questions
The study looked for responses to the following questions:
1. What is the impact of demographic and psychosocial factors on marital adjustment among couples?
2. What is the relationship between a couple’s gender, age, qualification, and financial capabilities and their marriage adjustment?
3. What is the nature of the relationship between gender, age at marriage, emotional expression, communication flow, money management, work involvement, and marital adjustment among couples in the Ijebu-ode Local Government?
Research hypotheses
1. There will be no relationship between gender, age, educational level, and marital adjustment among couples.
2. There will be no substantial association between couples’ cognitive quotients, emotional intelligence, personality types, and marital adjustment levels.
Significance of the Study
Martial adjustment is induced by a variety of causes, including demographic traits and psychosocial factors. The study seeks to identify the characteristics that contribute to the adjustment of couples’ marital affairs, with the goal of developing measures for divided households.
Clearly, developing solutions for dealing with marital troubles in Nigerian society. The study describes the role of stakeholders in the counselling and guiding sector, as well as the provision of family therapy devices to emerging families.
Scope of the Study
The study focusses on Ijebu-ode Local Government and aims to investigate demographic and psychosocial characteristics as predictors of marital adjustment in couples.
Limitation of the Study
This study would be limited to the city of Ijebu-ode. It should have covered more than the city of Ijebu-ode Local Government, but this was proved unsuccessful due to the following reasons:
The researcher’s restricted time prevented them from covering a large area in a timely manner.
The study’s reach was limited by holidays and strike activities in government schools, as the researcher did not want to squander time.
Nonetheless, it is hoped that the study’s final results will be unaffected by the highlighted constraints.
Operational Definition of Terms
1. Demographic: – This includes the entirety of an individual, such as age, gender, occupation, financial status, etc.
2. Psycho-Social: This includes human emotions, intelligence, orientation, and communication with the environment.
3. Marital Adjustment: Marital or dyadic adjustment can be thought of as a process whose outcome is determined by the number of difficult dyadic differences, interpersonal tensions and personal anxiety, dyadic satisfaction, and marital functioning issues. These aspects of adjustment apply to both married and unmarried couples.
4. Couples:- These are relationships in which the partners have committed to work together in good faith to attain marital goals and to give birth to children.
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