Communication and Satisfaction in The Marital Dyad: A Study of the Catholic Marriage Encounter Programme in Kenya
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Date
2005-04
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Daystar University, School of Communication
Abstract
Many marriages are hurting and couples are looking for solutions to their hurts. Poor or breakdown of communication has been cited as a major cause of marital disillusionment. This study set out to examine the role of dialogue and communication in relation to satisfaction in marital dyads. It also evaluated the Marriage Encounter Programme with a view to determining its effects on the couple participants' marital life through their experiences in the programme. The Marriage Encounter Programme is a Catholic Church sponsored programme to help revitalize marriages and restore marital intimate relationships.
A questionnaire adapted from Spanier's (1976) Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) was self-administered to 40 couples attending a "Deeper Weekend Encounter." These couples were drawn from most Provinces in Kenya and came together for a renewal/revitalizing conference. Sixty-six (66) duly completed questionnaires were returned representing 82.5% response rate. The remaining questionnaires were returned long after the analysis had been done.
Questionnaire data was coded and keyed into the computer then analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS for Windows 1 1.0). Averages, frequencies and percentages were then computed. Further, seventeen open-ended questions were added to the DAS scale and a focus group discussion was conducted with four couples that were facilitators of the programme. First, a coding scheme was pre-assigned to the open-ended
questions. The responses were then analysed qualitatively.
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The respondents were all Kenyans aged between 20 and 50 years with the majority around 30 and 40 years. There were 34 males and 32 females showing an almost equal distribution of men and women. Of the males, ü'0 were priests who facilitated the Encounter. The couples had been married beueen 5 and 20 years. A majority of these had attained college level education, were employed and lived with their spouses most of the year. They reported dialogic communication as helpful resulting in satisfaction in their marriages. They reported that the Marriage Encounter Programme (MEP) had a positive impact on their marriages, that they were now more open and trusting.
A few reported negative effects, such as more frustration over unmet needs expressed in the previous weekend encounters, disagreements beWveen spouses over the (MEP) experiences, differences in opinion about "dialogue itself;" "how often", "how to apply it in familY', and "other unvoiced problems".
On communication and decision-making, "consult" and "join" were evaluated highty as enhancing satisfaction in marriage; also one spouse's communication skill affected the other spouse's satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The research findings and literature review give hope for happy lasting marriages through diaJogic communication.
Marriage is God-ordained, marital conflict is a human condition, and only commitment of partners to God and to each other will make dialogue possible.
This will result in happy and lasting marriages despite faults and imperfections.
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Master of Arts in Communication
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Citation
Kibuthu, R. (2005). Communication and Satisfaction in The Marital Dyad: A Study of the Catholic Marriage Encounter Programme in Kenya. Daystar University, School of Communication