Purdue News

January 16, 2004

Purdue experts discuss president's plans for marriage.

Strong economy makes stronger marriages, expert says

A Purdue University expert calls President George W. Bush's plan to strengthen the institution of marriage misguided.

"If he wants to strengthen marriage in this country he needs to focus on economic factors," says Viktor Gecas (pronounced ge-chas), professor of sociology and an expert on social relationships between family and married couples. "The most unstable marriages are in the lower economic classes, often when the husband is not able to keep a steady job. Spending more than a billion dollars on workshops and premarital counseling could be better spent on stabilizing jobs."

Bush's $1.5 billion plan is scheduled to be announced Tuesday (1/20) in his State of the Union address.

Gecas, head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, has studied newlyweds' relationships and marital roles and has written "Family Socialization and the Adolescent."

CONTACT: Gecas, (765) 494-4666, vgecas@purdue.edu

Fixing marital problems begins before seeking therapy

A Purdue University psychology professor says the President's pledge to keep marriages healthy in the United States is a start.

"Couples are more likely to stay together if they can prevent severe problems and misunderstandings from happening, rather than fixing severe problems after they occur," says Ximena (pronounced He-men-ah) Arriaga, an associate professor of psychological sciences who studies relationship commitment and domestic violence. "Often when couples seek therapy, their problems are too entrenched – they have to deal with the original problem plus all the pain and anger that follows the original problem."

During the State of the Union address on Tuesday (1/20), President Bush is expected to announce details of a $1.5 billion plan that will provide marriage training opportunities, such as workshops, for couples.

"It would be great to see resources funneled into health campaigns, like the antismoking movement, to promote early marriage counseling," Arriaga says. "More of an emphasis needs to be placed on early marriage counseling because this is when problems start."

CONTACT: Arriaga, (765) 494-6888, arriaga@purdue.edu