Marriage and the Family

Positive and negative sentiment override is a fascinating concept. After studying this topic developed by Gottman, I began to sift through the relationships of couples in my life that I am close to. I feel like most of the couples I know have positive sentiment override due to their good relationship friendships. My sister Carley and her husband Nathan have seemed to have mastered positive sentiment override. They have been married for 7 years. They have a beautiful relationship based on a friendship that began before they got married and has only gotten better over time. They have two children, but they still make one another a priority. They do this by going on dates, doing things for one another, and spending time together once their kids have gone to bed. I am in a happy marriage myself, but I find inspiration from the example set by my sister and her husband.               I have learned that friendship is the ke...

Same Sex Marriage and Gender Roles The Obergefell v. Hodges case was a very educational read. It was the perfect example of what challenges there are in America today concerning the rights of the LGBTQ community, more specifically, their right to marry. This case went to court not that long ago. It was only 2015 when these two sides argued on why they believe that people of the same sex should either be able to be married, or that they shouldn’t. There are plenty of examples in this reading from both ends of the spectrum on why or why not people of the same sex should have this right. It highlights arguments that are hard to disagree with. Some believe that people of the same sex should not have this right because it’s unconstitutional and it destroys the sanctity of marriage. Others argue that it is their right as humans to be able to marry just as people of opposite sexes can marry. The court ended up ruling that marriages of the same sex would be recognized.  I feel like this is...

The ideas and rituals of marriage seem to contradict themselves. The community I grew up in was very small. Because of this, everyone was always aware of any divorces or marital issues among couples. I seemed like divorce in my community was very rare. When there were divorces, everyone was completely shocked and it was hot gossip that spread through the town like wildfire. I definitely grew up believing that divorce was not an option and that one would be shamed if they did decide to divorce their spouse, just like the letter A that Hester Prynne was forced to wear in Nathanial Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter.  Now as I am studying the State of our Unions article about marriage trends in America today, I am realizing that divorce is much more common than I ever realized, and that it can affect the dynamics of each family that goes through this. Divorce can often happen based upon fleeting feelings and rash decisions when emotions are high, but they can also be the best decision in ...