| Summary: | 碩士 === 實踐大學 === 家庭研究與兒童發展學系碩士班 === 100 === The purpose of this study is to explore the marital viewpoints of unmarried adult children experiencing parental divorce and the elements of family experience shaping their marital viewpoints. The study uses the qualitative research approach. The researcher interviewed two unmarried female adults who experienced parental divorce at the age of 18. The interviewed details are then analyzed and interpreted from a “holistic-content” perspective of the narrative research approach. The findings of this research are as follows:
1.The influence of the family-of-origin experience on the marital viewpoints of female adults experiencing parental divorce:
(1)Family experiences before, during or after the parental divorce greatly impact the self-concept and mental needs of female adults experiencing parental divorce, resulting in different influencing elements and gradually forming their current marital viewpoints.
(2)The “long-time conflicts” and “confronting family atmosphere” before the parental divorce involved the female adults into the “parent-child triangular relations” and “taking too much responsibility.” During the parental divorce, the marital viewpoints of female adults are influenced by their “understanding of the reason of parental divorce” and the “feeling of the handling of parental divorce.” After the parental divorce, the marital viewpoints of female adults are impacted mainly by the “decrease of resources due to change of family structure” and by the “adjustments of parent-child relationship.”
(3)The “length of conflicting period before the parental divorce” is also an important element influencing the expectations of intimacy and marital viewpoints of female adults. The long-time conflicts between parents may have negative influence on the self-awareness, mental health and marital viewpoints of the daughter even the parental divorce is executed after the daughter is grown.
2.The influence of the single parent on the marital viewpoints of female adults experiencing parental divorce:
(1)The influence of the single parent (the mother) on the marital viewpoints of female adults experiencing parental divorce is “mating preferences.” Main elements include the “personality” and “viewpoints of the opposite sex” of the single parent (the mother) and “the way of interactions between the single mother and daughter.”
(2)Main elements of the negative self-concept and low self-esteem of the female adults include the “male-orientated concept of the single parent (the mother)” and the “low self-esteem of the single parent (the mother) mediated through generations. And the “degree of the self-concept and self-esteem”is the main element of the influence of the single parent on the marital viewpoints of female adults experiencing parental divorce.
(3)The degree of the self-esteem, relationship models and the sex-role concept in the marriage of female adults experiencing parental divorce are mediated and copied through their single mothers. The degree of the “self-differentiation” is the main element of the influence of the single mother on the degree of the self-esteem, relationship models, mating preferences and the sex-role concept in the marriage of female adults experiencing parental divorce.
3.The marital viewpoints of unmarried female adults experiencing parental divorce:
(1)The formation of the marital viewpoints of the two interviewed unmarried female adults is a process of dynamics and continuous changes.
(2)The two interviewed unmarried female adults all show positive opinion for marriage and agree on the value of marriage and its necessity and longevity. In the aspect of the acts, both of them are willing to have a marriage and do not agree on cohabitation. In the aspect of expectation for marriage, they want to “avoid the mistakes their parents made in marriage,” “commit carefully to the marriage” and “expect the high quality of marriage.” In the aspect of mating preferences, they expect that “the spouse is tougher than them and can give them the sense of security.”
In the end, based upon the findings of this research, suggestions are given for marriage and family education, practical consulting workers and future research.
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