Research on the changing process of Chinese married couples' self-relation coordination in marital counseling

• Main Authors: Lan-Hsin Fan, 范嵐欣
• Other Authors: Ping-Hwa Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/2nmwpt

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 教育心理與輔導學系 === 97 === The purpose of this research was to explore how married couples in conflict achieve individual’s self-coordination and marital relationship coordination under the context of Taiwan/Chinese cultural transition through the intervention of ‘Self-relation Coordination in Marital Conflict Counseling’ to assist individuals return to the state of balance of inner harmony and marital relationship harmony. This counseling method integrates the counseling tasks of a counseling model of self-relation coordination (Chen, 2005) and the concept of the four Chinese selves of a four-part theory of the Chinese self (Yang, 2004). The participants of this research were five married couples, have been married for a period of time from 0.5 to 3.5 years. The intervention of ‘Self-relation Coordination in Marital Conflict Counseling’ was implemented in a four-day workshop. Each married couple was involved in the counseling session for two hours. The coordination process was videotaped and transcribed. A qualitative approach using reference to open coding and axial coding in Grounded Theory was used to analyze the data. Results were obtained from the analyzed data and these include the married couples’ relational conflict coordination process and its facilitating components, as well as the researcher’s understanding and interpretation of the married couples’ conflicts and its coordination process under the influence of Chinese culture. The research findings are as follows: 1.Marital Conflict Coordination Process a) Married couples’ inner self conflicts in the early stage of coordination can be categorized into two main types of conflicts: namely, conflicts “among four self-as-objects” and “within single self-as-object”. Conflicts “among four self-as-objects” include: conflicts between individual-oriented self and relationship-oriented self, conflicts between individual-oriented self and familistic-oriented self, conflicts between individual-oriented self and other-oriented self, conflicts between relationship-oriented self and familistic-oriented self, and conflicts between “individual-oriented self plus relationship-oriented self” and “familistic-oriented self plus other-oriented self”. Conflicts “within single self-as-object” include conflicts within individual-oriented self, conflicts within relationship-oriented self, and conflicts within familistic-oriented self. b) Married couples’ relational conflicts in the early stage of coordination can be categorized into two main types. One type of conflicts comes from the differences of the importance level that couples place on the four selves, implying the differences that the couples have on traditionality and modernity. The other type of conflict comes from one side or both sides of the married couple overemphasizing on individual needs and neglecting the other spouse or their relationship. c) Married couples’ relational conflict coordination process: all five married couples gradually achieved the balance of inner harmony and marital relationship harmony through both the self-coordination and marital relationship coordination processes. These two coordination processes interact with each other and both are dynamic processes. This dynamic balancing state is always changing in response to the interaction of inner self, marital relationship and environment. d) The results of married couples’ relational conflict coordination process: all five married couples saw their marital relationship as the first priority and were able to take care of their spouses’ other individual needs to the best of their ability as the result of coordination. Both sides could accept such result and expected a better and improving relationship in the future with a willingness to take actions and strive for such goal. 2.Components that facilitate the married couples to coordinate in the relationship: the eleven main facilitating components include “enhancing awareness and understanding of self”, “enhancing mutual understanding”, “message verification that brings about understanding and thinking about the present situation”, “common consensus from both sides”, “enhancing awareness and understanding of marital relationship”, “having more trust in spouse”, “willing to show goodwill in the relationship/feeling spouse’s goodwill”, “willing to commit to change”, “expecting to establish new communication patterns”, “expecting to grow continuously and willing to strive for it”, and “sense of humor”. 3.The researcher’s understanding and interpretation of married couples’ conflict and its coordination under the influence of Chinese culture: a)Looking at conflict issues, traditional Chinese culture still has its influence on the Chinese married couples in this generation, as well as on both spouses’ level of understanding on “problems”. b)The differences of traditionality and modernity between the spouses could bring about conflicts and could also change and influence each other, though the change was limited. c)Chinese in this generation generally display the characteristics of traditionality and modernity simultaneously. Different characteristics may be in conflict with one another, coexist, or blend into one new psychological characteristics consisting characteristics from both cultures. Comparison of the findings in the current research with previous researches was made based on the research results. Limitations of the current study were discussed, and implications for future researches with regard to marital conflict coordination, martial conflict coordination counseling were proposed.