Doctoral Dissertation Research: How Attitudes and Practices Shape Enduring Relationships

哈佛大学博士论文研究：态度和行为如何塑造持久的关系社会科学家几十年来一直试图找出离婚率上升和晚婚背后的因素，这种趋势在非裔美国人中比在一般人群中更为明显。然而，很少有人关注“什么是有效的”。维持长久关系的夫妻有什么特别之处？他们如何概念化和管理他们的关系？他们如何培养态度和做法，以促进持久的工会？本论文通过比较工薪阶层和中产阶级黑人已婚夫妇来解决这些问题。在此过程中，该项目将重点转向人际关系、支持网络和资源如何影响持久性。该项目采用了对大约70名情感专家和夫妻的采访，以及关于夫妻在讲述他们的关系故事时的动态的观察数据。更广泛的影响家庭稳定是一个广泛的利益相关者感兴趣的话题。一般公众、婚姻专业人员（咨询师）以及决策者一直表示有兴趣培育有利于稳定家庭的环境。这项研究的发现可能会引起公众对这些因素的争论。此外，通过关注非裔美国夫妇使用的策略，本研究试图补充现有的工作，并有助于我们理解是什么帮助关系更普遍地持久。最后，从这项研究中获得的见解可能使我们能够制定一系列“最佳实践”，这些实践可以为咨询和政策计划提供信息，旨在营造有利于关系长寿的环境。

SES-1203166Orlando PattersonYovonne BickerstaffHarvard UniversityAbstractDoctoral Dissertation Research: How Attitudes and Practices Shape Enduring RelationshipsSocial scientists have tried to identify the factors behind rising divorce rates and delayed marriage for decades, trends even more pronounced among African Americans than in the general population. However, far less attention has been paid to "what works." What is distinctive about how couples in lasting relationships? How do they conceptualize and conduct their relationships? How do they develop attitudes and practices that facilitate enduring unions? This dissertation addresses these questions by comparing working- and middle-class black married couples. In doing so, the project shifts the focus towards how interpersonal relations, support networks and resources influence durability. The project employs interviews with approximately 70 relationship experts and with couples, as well as observational data regarding the dynamics among couples as they tell their relationship stories. Broader ImpactsFamily stability is a topic of interest to a broad set of stakeholders. The general public, marriage professionals (counselors), as well as policy makers have expressed sustained interest in fostering an environment conducive to stabilizing families. Findings from this study may inform public debate about these factors. In addition, by focusing on strategies used by African American couples, this study seeks to complement extant work and contribute to our understanding of what helps relationships endure more generally. Finally, insights from this research may enable us to formulate a range of "best practices" that can inform counseling and policy programs designed to foster an environment conducive to relationship longevity.