The Social Construction of Marriage and Narrative Therapeutic Approaches to Narrative Treatment Methods in Family Therapy

Historical Foundations and Evolution of Marriage

• Evolutionary Origins: The union between a man and a woman is historically and evolutionarily viewed as useful for the survival of offspring.
• Pre-Contractual Rituals: Prior to the formalization of marital contracts, cultural rituals signified unions. These sometimes included violent practices such as the capturing and raping of women to signify ownership.
• Monetary Transition: The acquisition of a wife transitioned into a monetary transaction where families provided compensation for a bride (bride price/dowry systems).
• 17th Century Legal Rigidity: In Western Europe during the $17\text{th}$ century, strict laws made it exceedingly difficult to dissolve a marriage.
• Emergence of Personal Choice: By the end of the $17\text{th}$ century, personal choice in partners began to emerge as a social ideal, replacing arranged marriages. Love became a socially encouraged motivation for entry into marriage.
• The Modern Shift and Dismantling:
  • It took over $150$ years to establish the "love-based male breadwinner" marriage as the dominant model in North America and Western Europe.
  • It took fewer than $25$ years to dismantle this specific model.
  • The rise in divorce rates beginning in the $1960\text{s}$ coincided with the feminist movement and women's increased participation in the workforce. However, the transcript notes it cannot be strictly implied that feminism caused the divorce influx. Instead, the logic suggests that if love and choice are the drivers for entering a marriage, they should also be the reciprocal drivers for leaving one.

Social Construction Theory in the Context of Matrimony

• Core Postulate: Meaning is created through a person's countless interactions with their environment. Knowledge is not a fixed, objective entity but an evolving process occurring through conversation and contact with others.
• Perception of Reality: Dominant beliefs within society and internalized beliefs influence an individual’s perception of what is "real."
• Marriage as a Construct: Marriage is not an exclusive or universal construct across society. It is a socially constructed entity that varies based on individual experience and societal authority.
• Variation in Conduct: Expected conduct within a marriage varies between partners because no two individuals have identical experiences or influences.
• Dynamic State: Marriage is a product of social experience and is constantly changing alongside policies, values, and beliefs. It is not a static state.

Statistical Trends in the United States

• 2008 Marriage and Divorce Data:
  • The divorce-to-marriage rate was approximately $\frac{1}{2}$.
  • There were approximately $7.1 \text{ marriages per } 1,000 \text{ people}$ in the population.
  • There were approximately $3.5 \text{ divorces per } 1,000 \text{ people}$ in the population.
• General Trends: Marriage rates in the United States decrease annually.
• Alternative Unions: Shifts in the definition of marriage are highlighted by political arguments regarding gay marriage and the pursuit of governmental rights for alternatives such as polygamy and cohabitation.

Limitations, Safety, and the Marital Covenant

• The Best Option Narrative: Continuation of a marital relationship is not always the optimal path for both parties. In instances of severe abuse, the woman is physically safer outside the relationship.
• Therapeutic Ethics in Abuse: Therapists generally avoid conjoint (couple) sessions if there is a high level of abuse occurring.
• Critique of the "Covenant": The view of marriage as a priority or "covenant" that must be protected at all costs can be perceived as ignorant when it ignores individual safety.
• Microsystem vs. Macrosystem: Marriage acts as a variable that holds significant influence over long-term relationship views at both the microsystem (individual/couple) and macrosystem (societal) levels.

Cultural Diversity: Collectivism vs. Individualism

• Marital Satisfaction: Satisfaction often depends on the degree to which the marriage fulfills culturally determined expectations and obligations.
• Individualistic Cultures (Western): Emphasis is placed on maintaining a sense of individuality within the relationship. It is not uncommon for a spouse to pursue their own self-indulgence or pleasure before the needs of a partner.
• Collectivistic Cultures (e.g., Hispanic, Filipino): High priority is given to the needs and desires of the spouse and the extended family. Interdependence and concern for others are central.
• Cultural Discrepancies: Issues arise when partners come from different cultural backgrounds, especially if one is adamant about maintaining familial expectations that conflict with the other's values.

Race and Interracial Marriage Dynamics

• Growth: Interracial marriages are becoming increasingly common in the United States.
• Identity Examination: Minorities in interracial relationships are often forced to re-examine their sense of identity.
• Stressors: Ingrained family views regarding same-race marriages create unique stressors.
• Divorce Correlation: Statistically, interracial marriages are more likely to end in divorce compared to same-race marriages. A failed marriage in this context is often socially viewed as a consequence for violating "racial homogamy."
• Pronuptial Values: Racial backgrounds may emphasize the necessity of marriage as a social and personal requirement.

Gender Roles and Socialized Scripts

• Construction: Gender is socially constructed and interpreted through family composition and cultural background, rather than being strictly tied to biological sex.
• Racial Variation in Roles:
  • Generally, white families assign more gender-specific roles to their children than black families do.
• Childhood Socialization: Children are socialized to follow scripts for romantic interactions.
  • Female Scripts: Often involve the restriction of romantic relationships.
  • Male Scripts: Often involve the promotion of multiple relationships as a means of defining masculinity.

Religious Influences on Marriage

• Changing Religiosity: In $2002$, approximately $67\%$ of the American public reported that religiosity was losing its influence.
• Religious Identity: Dictates marriage expectations, dynamics, and the permanence of the union.
• Patriarchal Roots: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were born in patriarchal societies and maintain these influences in their teachings. Many traditions hold individuals accountable to God for upholding traditional roles (man/woman).
• Benefits of Tradition: Some suggest regular adherence to traditional roles can reduce the negative implications of dominant/submissive power differentials by framing them as divine service.
• Marital Satisfaction and Practice: Satisfaction is less about the specific affiliation and more about the degree to which couples share religious practices and values. Shared values influence the effort put into the relationship.
• Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: These religious motivations are associated with changes in marital satisfaction.
• Divorce and Help-Seeking: Higher religiosity is linked to negative attitudes toward divorce, higher commitment, and a greater willingness to seek help for conflicts.
• Sexuality and Stigma: Religion defines premarital sex as immoral, which can create stigmas or "sexual adjustment problems" for both first-married and remarried couples. However, infidelity is less likely in highly religious groups.

Implications for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)

• Therapeutic Responsibility: Therapists must be cognizant of cultural and religious differences and avoid making assumptions based on the dominant culture.
• Addressing Religion: Discussing religion is a therapist's responsibility if it is important to the client, especially when addressing power and sexuality.
• Reducing Power Differentials: The proposed therapeutic goal is to focus on relationship strengths rather than abstract ideals, thereby reducing power imbalances.

Feminist Family Therapy (FFT)

• Focus: Addresses issues of power in the therapy room, including race, gender, and sexuality.
• Shift in Focus: Instead of focusing on the individual or family unit, FFT focuses on the socio-cultural context and how society constructs role constraints.
• Universal Benefit: It seeks to benefit all persons, not just minorities, by dismantling various "isms" (racism, sexism, etc.) to avoid treatment gaps.

Narrative Therapy and the Proposed Model

• Postmodern Theory: Capitalizes on existing strengths rather than pathologies.
• Problem-Saturated Stories: Couples often view their lives through a dominant story where the problem is central, making positives hard to see.
• Michael White ($2007$) Maps:
  1. Externalizing Conversations: Viewing the problem as separate from the individual identity.
  2. Reauthoring Conversations: Identifying events counter to the dominant story to create an "alternative story."
  3. Remembering Conversations: Exploring parts of the life story previously unrecognized.
• Goal: Does not seek to change behaviors or values, but to recognize strengths and productive behaviors already present in the client's life. It allows couples to create their own view of marriage rather than adhering to a larger societal view.
• Egalitarian Relationship: Therapists should employ an egalitarian relationship in the room to avoid defensive reactions from either party.
• Non-Threatening Approach: Change is introduced gradually to avoid overwhelming the couple, focusing on how their backgrounds shaped their ideologies.