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Preparation Marriage

The effective design and successful implementation of programs that
target the transition to marriage has been limited in the family life education
field. Some researchers have called for more of a family life education focus on
newlyweds. In order to expand our understanding of this important transition, a
review of the existing literature on the transition to marriage would be a
significant contribution to family life researchers and educators. The present
article synthesizes the available information that is germane to our
understanding
of the transition to marriage by highlighting the salient intrapersonal,
interpersonal, familial, and social developmental issues facing couples making
the marital transition in order to conduct future research and design relevant
family life education curricula.
Surprisingly, there is limited data on a couples' first year of
marriage, couples'
preparation and readiness for marriage (Holman & Li, 1997; Larson &
Holman, 1994), and how
couples' relationships change as they progress through courtship and
into marriage (Huston,
McHale, & Crouter, 1986; Huston, Surra, Fitzgerald, & Cate, 1981).
Thus, the design and
successful implementation of programs that target newlywed couples
have been lacking in the
family life education field, although some researchers have called for
more of a family life
education focus on newlyweds (Mace, 1982).
In order to expand our understanding of this important transition, a
review of the existing
literature on the transition to marriage is a significant contribution
to family life researchers and
educators. Therefore, the present paper synthesizes the available
information that is germane to
our understanding of the transition to marriage. An additional goal is
to highlight for family life
educators some of the salient intrapersonal, interpersonal, familial,
and social developmental
issues facing couples making the marital transition in order to
conduct future...