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Psychosocial Factors As Predictors Of Marital Stability Among Married Women In Private Universities
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Marital stability is not
only a value term, but also a relative term. It implies firmness and
strength to endure under hard as well as easy circumstances. This
element of constancy, according to Hollingshead (2007), must not be
confused with a static condition. Marriage and family problems represent
a unique but common, category of adjustment difficulty that causes
people to seek psychological treatment. Problems can develop in a
couple’s relationships because of a medical or psychological problem in
either person, or in one of their children. Parent-child problems can
also create distress within a family. Sometimes, the couple itself is
the problem because of poor communication, continuous conflict,
alienation, sexual problems, or in-law problems (Donald, 2007). Jegede
(1998) confirms that age at marriage is a factor that contributes to the
problem of marital stability through the issue of early marriage.
Communication is the process of transmitting and receiving ideas,
information, and messages. Healthy and poor communication in
homes/marriages contributes to the stability or instability of such
marriage. In-laws are relatives by marriage, especially the parents of
the husband or wife. In-laws are generally perceived as “enemies†by
couples. They are usually regarded as unnecessary interference in the
scheme of things. Except in a few cases, many couples would rather keep
their in-laws at arms length because too much familiarity brings
contempt. But, as much as many couples would want to do this, the
extended family practice by African culture may not permit it. Women
especially, suffer the major consequence of in-laws’ interference in
their marriage because in-laws see them as intruders who deprive them of
the love and attention needed from their son.
Marital suspicion is
an act of suspecting; the imagination or apprehension of the existence
of something (especially something wrong or hurtful) without proof, or
upon very slight evidence, or upon no evidence. Marital suspicion has
deprived a large number of people their joy and peace; it has even led
to cases of battering, divorce, murder and so on. Suspicion could be
used interchangeably with cheating, jealousy, distrust, mistrust and
doubt.
The importance of marital stability cannot be
over-emphasized; the stability of each marriage or family is eventually
the stability of the nation at large. This study identified four
psychosocial factors (communication, age at marriage, in-laws’
interference and marital suspicion) and it is against this backdrop that
the research was been conducted in order to find out whether the
identified factors could predict marital stability.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Marriage
is the major avenue whereby the society is been populated by the number
of offspring that are born from such marriages. When there is marital
instability, there is a problem in the raising and nurturing of the
children, which leads to an increase in the rate of juvenile delinquency
in the society. Youths are the future of the nation and when the home
front is faulty, parents will not be able to cater for and correct their
children, and no wonder we have a large number of drop-out cases which
eventually turn out to become area boys and girls roaming (about) the
streets. If this social menace is not addressed early enough, the future
and hope of this nation may be dashed.
Another upshot of marital
instability are sicknesses, diseases (e.g. high blood pressure, cardiac
arrest, HIV/AIDS, mental disorder) and cases of untimely death. When
peaceful atmosphere is replaced with chaos in marriage, the consequences
are usually grievous. The death of either of the couple or both also
has some effect on both the home and the nation. Children from such a
home without any other social supports tend to join armed robbery gangs,
prostitution and drug trafficking in search of a means of livelihood.
All these will definitely affect Nigeria as a nation to be deprived of
future leaders who will steer the wheel of the nation towards
technological advancement and economic progress.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The
purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which psychosocial
factors predict marital stability among women in private Universities in
Ogun State; and which of the psychosocial factors would predict marital
stability most.
1.3 Objectives of Study This study seeks to:
1. Examine marital stability among married women in private universities in Ogun State.
2. Explore the psychosocial factors that are capable of predicting marital stability.
3. Investigate the role of communication as a contributory factor to marital stability.
4. Examine the effect of age at marriage on marital stability.
5. Highlight the side effects of the role of in-laws’ interference on marital stability.
6. Provide solutions that will assist individuals to avoid marital instability.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study examined the psychosocial factors as predictors of marital stability among married women in private universities in Ogun State. Two hundred (N=200) women were randomly selected using stratified random sampling technique. Family Assessment Device, a subscale of McMaster Family Functioning Scales and Psychosocial Factors of Marital Stability Questionnaire (PSFMSQ) were used to measure marital stability, communication, age at marriage, in-laws’ interference and marital suspicion. ... Continue reading---
