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The relationship between family rituals and family functioning in the remarried family

University of British Columbia

This paper proposes that remarried families who have a higher level of family ritual observance will also have a higher level of family functioning. This hypothesis was tested in a study involving 60 individuals comprising 30 couples remarried over two years, and with a stepchild under 13 years of age. Each partner responded to a questionnaire composed of family functioning measures (FACES Ill-Adaptability and Cohesion subscales, Family Satisfaction Scale, Quality Marriage Index) family ritual measures (Family Traditions Index, Family Celebrations Scale, Family Time and Routines Index), and demographic information. Data was examined using Correlation, Analysis of Variance, and Regression analysis. Results indicate that women experiencing a higher level of family routines also experience greater family satisfaction. Additionally, women who had counselling in the remarried family, report greater marital quality, and women who work outside the home report a higher level of adaptability. For men, a higher level of cohesion and family celebrations were found for men where the remarried family includes a child from the current marriage. These results suggest that awareness of family rituals present in remarried families and the effect of particular demographic variables can be useful information for both family therapists and the families themselves.

Text

2010-11-01

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/29716

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

Graduate