Marriage Partners Research Articles

Re-reading Genesis 24:55b–60 in the context of marriage by proxy in Awkunanaw, Enugu State

Genesis 24:55–60 takes cognisance of the right of a damsel in marriage arrangement. The study aims to examine Genesis 24:55–60 in the context of marriage by proxy in Awkunanaw, Enugu State, Nigeria. The methodology employed in this study is narrative analysis. The findings of the research indicate that marriage by proxy has been a longstanding practice in ancient Awkunanaw. The approach to this practice has evolved between ancient Awkunanaw and contemporary Awkunanaw. The study also reveals that damsels were granted the right to choose their life partners within the socio-cultural context of Genesis 24:55–60. The Hebrew phrase supporting this claim is niqrä’ lanna‘árä, meaning ‘we will call to the girl’. This suggests that Rebekah, the damsel in the text, consented to the marriage made on her behalf. Therefore, the study recommends that parents and guardians in contemporary Awkunanaw should adopt the socio-cultural practices of Laban’s society, as indicated in the study, to help curb the state of chaos within families in Awkunanaw.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This study emphasises the need to advocate for the rights of young women in Awkunanaw concerning marriage by proxy. It indicates that allowing a woman to choose her marriage partner would help reduce domestic violence and other marital crises in Nigeria, particularly in Awkunanaw.

Applying Virginia Held’s Ethics of Care to Resolve the Social-Cultural Problem of Violence against Women in Kurya Society

The study focused on addressing violence against women in the Kurya society of Tanzania by applying Virginia Held’s ethics of care. It explored cultural practices such as FGM, child marriage, and intimate partner violence, emphasizing their impact on women’s health and human rights. Using a phenomenological research design, the study aimed to understand the subjective experiences of individuals affected by violence against women. The expected outcomes included a better understanding of the cultural practices perpetuating violence, the development of a comprehensive approach grounded in ethics of care, and contributing to gender equality and human rights in Kurya society.

Hannah’s stigmatisation in 1 Samuel 1:6-8 in the modern Nigerian (Yoruba) context

Unlike Hannah, who eventually had a child, there are women today who remain childless. In the modern world, there are various reasons why women choose not to have children. Therefore, when interpreting the Hannah narrative in modern times, it is important to consider these evolving aspects of barrenness. This article applies historical-critical exegesis, narrative reading and a descriptive approach to examine Hannah’s experience in the Nigerian context. It also evaluates African traditional beliefs on childlessness in light of modern realities. The study reveals that many women in pronatalist societies worldwide now choose to be child-free because of reasons such as difficulty finding marriage partners or financial instability. As these factors are also present in Nigeria, childless Nigerian women should embrace their situation and find happiness instead of succumbing to stigmatisation. To support these Christian women, the church in Nigeria must accept and teach the truth that not every woman needs to bear children.Contribution: This article contributes to the discussion on Christian attitudes towards childlessness. It argues that the interpretation of Hannah’s infertility in today’s world should consider new circumstances, such as voluntary childlessness. In light of this argument, Nigerian women without children should embrace their situation and find happiness instead of succumbing to societal stigma.

Assessment of Sexual Violence against Girls and Young Women with Disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

This review looks into the prevalence of sexual violence against disabled girls and young women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding this issue is vital for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which seek to eliminate all forms of violence in the region. The research specifically examines the nature of sexual violence faced by girls and young women with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. To achieve the desired outcomes, a comprehensive desk review was carried out on the subject of sexual violence against this demographic. The study highlights factors that contribute to vulnerability, the environments where offenders operate, the repercussions of sexual abuse, and the coping strategies employed by victims. The findings indicate that girls and young women with disabilities are at a heightened risk of sexual abuse due to perceptions of weakness and a lack of adequate protection. Additionally, disability and poverty further exacerbate the risk of gender-based violence. It was found that many women with disabilities experienced sexual abuse due to circumstances such as limited mobility, financial hardship, familial rejection, and unemployment, which often confined them to their homes and made them easy targets. In terms of repercussions, sexual violence has been linked to unintended pregnancies, homelessness, divorce, and challenges in finding marriage partners. There is a pressing need for further research to guide policymakers in implementing effective multi-sectoral strategies that support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at reducing all forms of violence in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Intimate Partner Violence in Emergency Situation, Lessons from Lango Sub-Region, Northern Uganda, Implications for Future Marriage Partnership

Intimate Partner Violence in Emergency Situation, Lessons from Lango Sub-Region, Northern Uganda, Implications for Future Marriage Partnership

Prediction of aggressive tendencies from facial dimension and ratios: A Study on undergraduate students of Northeastern Nigeria

Facial dimensions and ratios are important anthropometric parameters which have been used over the years to define and predict some physical and social characteristics notably among human behaviour like aggression. However, there is a paucity of data regarding this link among the African population, particularly in Northeastern Nigeria where high cases of insurgency, banditry and some aggressive related criminalities are reported daily. The study aimed to determine how linear facial dimensions or ratios can specifically predict a self-reported form of aggression (physical, verbal, anger and hostility) among undergraduate students. A cross-sectional study design was adopted whereby a total of 400 (200 male and 200 female) adult undergraduate students aged between 16 to 30 years were randomly selected. A 2D facial images were used to determine facial biometrics (four linear facial dimensions ((n-sn, sn-gn, go-go and zy-gy) and five facial ratios {upper facial weight/lower facial height (UFW/LFH), upper facial weight/lower facial weight (UFW/LFW), upper facial weight/upper facial height (UFWUFH) and upper facial height/facial height (UFH/FH) and facial weight to height ratio (fWHR) - lower derived from the measured linear dimensions using a Sony digital camera DSC w380 and art face 3 software. Buss and Perry's aggression questionnaire was adopted, and scores for each aggression scale were recorded. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS software version 22 and Cronbach’s alpha for each scale above 0.70. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship of facial biometrics with aggressive tendencies. The study observed that lower facial height (sn-gn) significantly correlates with verbal aggression and anger irrespective of sex. Facial height (FH) also correlates with verbal aggression in both sexes, while fWHR correlates significantly with anger (AN) irrespective of sex. More so, lower facial height to facial height ratio (LFH/FH) correlates significantly with verbal aggression (VA) and anger (AN) irrespective of sex but correlates with the same in males only. Similarly, upper facial weight to lower facial height (UFW/LFH) correlates significantly with verbal aggression and anger irrespective of sex and with anger only in males. Stepwise multiple linear regression equations were formed for the parameters which showed a positive correlation with aggression and consequently UFW/LFH and UFW/LFW were the best predictors of aggressive tendencies (P = 0.01). Conclusively, facial characteristics are indicators of one’s mood and can weakly predict aggressive tendencies in an individual and may be useful to predict suitable partners in marriage, friendship, or recruitment exercise.

ATTITUDE OF FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TOWARDS THE PROCESS OF MATE SELECTION

Relationships are the primary bond that holds people together and one of the important relationships that people have throughout their life is their marriage. In Pakistan, choosing a mate for a female is a dynamic process that is influenced by a wide variety of circumstances, such as parental participation, the social and educational level of the spouse, among many others. The objective of current study was to know the attitude of female students of Punjab University towards the process of selecting their marriage partners. It was a quantitative study and data was collected from 268 female students of final year selected through simple random sampling. Data was collected with the help of questionnaire as tool of data collection, whereas data was analyzed statistically by applying chi square test and it was found that educational and financial status were most important variables considered by females while choosing the spouse among other factors including maturity of spouse and qualities of character. It is concluded on the basis of study findings that in a patriarchal society like Pakistan females have very little autonomy in decision making and it is recommended that awareness should be created among people to consider opinions of girls while choosing their mate so that they could be involved in the most important decision of their family life.

Relationship between personality traits and postpartum depression in Pakistani fathers.

The previous studies have found an association between Big Five personality traits and postpartum depression in women. The present study aimed to find out an association between Big Five personality traits and postpartum depression in a sample of Pakistani fathers. A total of 400 Pakistani fathers who had birth of a child in the past 1 month to 1 year period and had been living with their married partners were recruited purposively by using Google Form based survey from the major cities of Pakistan. The Urdu translated versions of Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were used as the main outcome measures to assess the relationship between personality traits and postpartum depression. The results found a significant negative and moderate association between Big Five personality traits and paternal postpartum depression except openness which had a weak association and neuroticism which had a positive and moderate association with PPPD (r(398) = .45). The multiple linear regression analysis found that Big Five personality traits significantly predicted paternal postpartum depression (F(5, 394) = 53.33, p = .001) except openness (B = .007, p = .98). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences in paternal postpartum depression for age of father (F(2, 397) = 6.65, p = .001, ηp2 = .03), spouse age (F(2, 393) = 5.97, p = .003, ηp2 = .02), employment type (F(2, 395) = 9.69, p = .001, ηp2 = .04) and time spent at home (F(2, 397) = 6.23, p = .002, ηp2 = .03) while there were found no significant differences for education (F(2, 397) = 1.29, p = .27, ηp2 = .006), marital duration (F(2, 397) = 2.17, p = .11, ηp2 = .01), and birth number of recent child (F(2, 397) = 1.48, p = .22, ηp2 = .007). The study concluded that Big Five personality traits are significantly correlated with and predict paternal postpartum depression except openness which did not predict paternal postpartum depression. The occurrence of paternal postpartum depression varied significantly for age of father, age of spouse, type of employment and time spent at home.

The rise in cross‐national marriages and the emergent inequalities in East and Southeast Asia

The rise in cross‐national marriages and the emergent inequalities in East and Southeast Asia

Physical and psychological health consequences of intimate partner violence among married primary school teachers in Delta South Senatorial Zone of Delta State, Nigeria: Implication for marital stability.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious health issue among couples which is recorded more among married partners. Dishearteningly, IPV among couples who are teachers is underreported due to shame, thereby increasing the prevalence of IPV in the area of the study. The study examined physical and psychological health consequences of IPV on married primary school teachers. The design was a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted on married primary school teachers in Delta South Senatorial zone of Delta State, Nigeria from 22nd February - 29th November, 2021. Three hundred and thirteen 313 (207 women and 106 men who have experienced various forms of IPV) who were identified as victims of IPV were used as participants in the study. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on physical and psychological health consequences of IPV on married teachers. The researchers concluded that there are severe and serious physical and psychological health consequences associated with IPV among married primary school teachers in Delta South Senatorial zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Urgent interventions such as public enlightenment, campaigns, workshops, seminars, community health talk-shows should be organized by government stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, community leaders on the prevention of IPV and its dare consequences for marital stability.

Gender differences in the association of dementia symptoms severity and hospital anxiety

IntroductionSymptoms of anxiety can worsen cognitive decline in people with dementia, and symptoms of dementia and fears of further cognitive decline can cause anxiety. Advanced dementia is not necessarily associated with a loss of emotion, which means that people may still experience anxiety, but their ability to cope in a healthy way is reduced. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that hospital care alone can contribute to the severity of anxiety symptoms due to change in routine of daily activities, unfamiliar surroundings, uncertainty about health status, prognosis and various medical procedures. There are differences between women and men in the prevalence, course and manifestation of both dementia and anxiety disorders.ObjectivesTo examine whether there are differences between women and men in the association of hospital anxiety with eight symptoms of dementia: difficulties with memory, orientation, judgement, problem solving, fulfilling social obligations, daily activities at home and with hobbies, or personal care, in patients with mild to moderate dementia.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Clinic in Zagreb in June 2023. The target population were hospitalised patients diagnosed with dementia, both genderes, aged 60-90 years, without psychotic disorder. Anxiety during hospitalisation was measured using the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A), and the severity of dementia symptoms was measured using the Dementia Assessment Instrument (CDR). The hypothesis was tested using Wald test of differences between women and men in unstandardised linear regression coefficients of the HADS-A on individual dementia symptoms, after adjustment for age, education, presence of a married or stable non-marital partner and duration of current hospitalisation.ResultsWe enrolled 65 women and 35 men of comparable age. There were significant gender-related differences in the association between hospital anxiety and difficulties with judgement (P = 0.01), fulfilling social obligations (P < 0.001), difficulties with home and hobbies (P = 0.02), and personal care (P = 0.00). In women, more pronounced difficulties with judgement and with home and hobbies were associated with higher anxiety, and in men the presence of these two symptoms of dementia was associated with lower anxiety. Difficulties with fulfilling social obligations are associated with lower anxiety in women and higher anxiety in men. Difficulties with personal care were associated with lower anxiety in both genders, but this effect was stronger in men.ConclusionsThere are differences between women and men in the association between anxiety during hospital treatment and the severity of individual dementia symptoms. These differences are present in difficulties with judgement, fulfilling social obligations, home, hobbies and personal care.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Inheritance Rights of Women in Upper Chitral: A Case Study of Tehsil Mastuj (Pakistan)

The following research mainly focuses on the inheritance rights of women in Upper Chitral. In Pakistani society, women are discriminated against and have not always been subjected to decent behavior. Their rights should be addressed in various facets of life, such as when deciding their roles and choosing their marriage partners. This research will look into the religious and constitutional laws regarding inheritance and their implementation; it will give the readers an idea of whether women in Upper Chitral are aware of their rights related to inheritance and if they still need to be made aware. It will also highlight the common causes of their need for more awareness. Further research will elaborate on the patriarchal mindset prevailing in Upper Chitral that is hindering women's independence and growth. A qualitative approach has been used for this research. In-depth interviews were conducted to get the relevant data. Purposive sampling was employed. Primary data has been used for this research. The study found that women in Upper Chitral inherit significantly less than men, limiting their economic opportunities and enhancing the gender gap. Cultural traditions often clash with legal frameworks designed to promote equality. However, there are positive improvements as evolving social norms, increased legal awareness, and community initiatives are challenging these discriminatory practices. Younger generations are more flexible to gender equality. Education empowers women to fight for their inheritance rights. The study recommends a multi-pronged approach that addresses legal reforms, cultural beliefs, and economic empowerment through education and financial literacy.

"Get Her for Me, for She Pleases Me Well:" Interpreting the Samson Marriage Narrative in Judges 14 in Light of Parental Role in Mate Selection in Nigeria

Judges 14 speaks to the Nigerian context on the role of parents in the marriage process. Unlike in the traditional African society where the choice of spouses was determined by parents and the family, in Nigeria today, parents have little involvement in their children's choice of marriage partner. Applying narrative reading and the descriptive approach, the article examines this text in light of the significance of parents' role in choosing marriage partners among Nigerian Christians. The study finds that due to the influence of Christianity and modernisation, Nigerian parents now play little role in the choice of their children's marriage partners and that this is one of the factors responsible for the rampant marriage failures in society. It concludes that to curb the high rate of marriage instability among Nigerian Christians, the church in Nigeria should review its marriage theology to emphasise the role of parents in mate selection, using the Samson story as a literary instrument.

The commodification of romance in relation to fertility rate in Japan: a case study in Tokunoshima

Japan’s low fertility rate has been a concern for over thirty years. Despite a vast literature on the topic, numerous policies and measures to boost the country’s fertility rate, and the will of Japanese people to have a family, Japan seems powerless to remedy the problem commonly called shôshika in Japanese. Yet, Southern parts of Japan show that it does not equally affect the archipelago. Remote islands in Japan have an exceptionally high fertility rate compared to other developed countries. The paper aims to understand the reasons for their high fertility rate by focusing on late and lifelong singlehood (bankonka and mikonka) as a critical factor of the shôshika. It will particularly pay attention to the perception of love and romance in one of those remote islands: Tokunoshima. It will argue that the absence of commodification in romantic intercourse facilitates matchmaking that would result in the creation of a family. People are more likely to meet someone with whom they will have a family when the dating process is not embedded with commodified gestures. On another note, although their view of dating is similar to individuals in other developed countries, the practice of dating takes alternative forms that force them not to rely on the commodification of romance, which increases their chances of matchmaking. As a result, inhabitants of Tokunoshima quickly find a marriage partner, which contributes to the absence of late and lifelong singlehood.

Wanted: marriage partner! Partner preferences in newspaper contact adverts in the Netherlands, 1900-1955

ABSTRACT This study examines romantic and instrumental partner preferences in contact adverts from two Dutch newspapers, the Arnhemsche Courant (N = 283) and the Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant (N = 231) between 1900 and 1955. With the spread of the newspaper, contact adverts became a new meeting place. By means of short messages, people could make known that they were looking for a partner to get acquainted or even to marry and describe how their desired person should look like. By analysing how advertisers described themselves and their sought-after partners, insights into the motivations behind partner choice were gained. We identified a number of terms in the ads that could indicate romantic partner preferences, such as age homogamy, openness to regional or social heterogamy, and preferences indicating attraction, personality, and appearance. Similarly, instrumental partner preferences could be gathered from phrases expressing social homogamy (marrying into one’s own social class), parental influences, and the importance of wealth or possessions. The results show that romantic and instrumental considerations in partner preferences co-existed, but that their relative occurrence changed over time. Moreover, differential considerations in partner preference existed according to region, urban or rural residence, social class, religion, and gender. For instance, women’s partner preferences were more instrumental than those of men, while urban women were more likely to place contact adverts than rural women. Widows, widowers, and the divorced more often expressed romantic rather than instrumental partner preferences compared to unmarried men and women.

청소년의 다문화 수용에서 주체적 자아(I)의 역할

Cross-cultural acceptability in youth tends to be higher than that in adults. This is a phenomenon that is difficult to explain within the general concept of socialization. It suggests that there is a unique recognition mechanism for cross-cultural acceptability in the experience of youths. This study searched for clues to the mechanism in the self concept proposed by Mead, namely, Me (the social self) and I (the subjective self). The study applied a growth curve model from the second year of middle school to the third year of high school to investigate trends in students’ cross-cultural acceptability and the influence of the subjective self as a developmental factor. Cross-cultural acceptability was analyzed by applying the Guttman scale to items measuring social distances, such as neighbors, friends, close friends, opposite gender friends, and marriage partners. The results show that cross-cultural acceptability increases in a non-linear form from the second year of middle school to the third year of high school. The subjective self significantly increases the level of cross-cultural acceptability in the second year of middle school, but as the grades increase, the influence of the subjective self on cross-cultural acceptability decreases. In cases where the subjective self is high, the function of the subjective self has already been mobilized to increase cross-cultural acceptability in the second year of middle school, and a high level of cross-cultural acceptability has been reached, resulting in its influence decreasing in subsequent grades. The results are evidence that the role of the subjective self, which awakens youths’ spontaneity, initiative, and willingness, is at work in an environment where youth are experiencing the low cross-cultural acceptability of adult society.

Incomplete maternal family as an object of social work

The authors examined the reasons for the emergence of single-parent families, including: divorce of a married couple; transformation of the reproductive function of the family; death of the children’s father; changes in moral standards in the field of gender relations; the spread of premarital affairs; unpreparedness of young people for marriage and excessive demands on their marriage partner. Classifications of single-parent families by number of generations are presented; the actual presence or absence of a second parent; form of institution. Social work technologies that can be used to effectively solve social problems of single-parent families are considered: technologies of social patronage, counseling, social prevention, correction, therapy and mentoring technology. An important condition for the successful exit of an incomplete maternal family from a difficult life situation is the readiness of family members to implement the recommendations of a social work specialist and the personal interest of clients in improving the quality of life.

Juridical Review of Marriage Registration Under Hand

Marriage registration is not a requirement for a valid marriage, but is an effort to create administrative order. The statement of Absolute Responsibility (SPTJM) contained in the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation Number 9 of 2016 is the government’s attempt to provide a solution to the problem of population administration, where there are still many people who do not have population documents. Based on this policy, people who carry out unregistered marriages can make a family card using the SPTJM as a subtitute for a marriage certificate. So this study aims to determine the status of marriage registration after the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation Number 9 of 2016, as well as the legal consequences arising from the use of SPTJM for unregistered marriage partners. The research method used is normative, carried out by examining library materials or secondary data coupled with interviews. The reseach results that need to be considered are that the SPTJM doesn’t legalize the occurrence of a marriage, but only speeds up the process of collecting population administration data at the Population and Civil Registry Service. Therefore, registration of marriages is important so that people have legal certainty regarding their martial status.

Syndromic diagnosis, sexual behavior, and management in rural population among all cases attending sexually transmitted infection clinic in a tertiary care center from the east-central zone of India: A retrospective study.

Rural population constitutes a significant population of our country. According to the regions, the sexual behavior and pattern of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) changes because of variation in health facilities, education, and sociocultural belief. To study the sociodemographic profile, sexual behavior, and pattern of STIs based on the syndromic approach in the rural population attending STIs clinic from the east-central zone of India. Between January 2020 and July 2022, a retrospective study was carried out in a STIs clinic at a tertiary care facility in India's east-central region. Data included demographics, clinical profiles (syndromic approach), and sexual behavior from all the rural population suffering from STIs. The data were corroborated using the proper statistical tools. Seven hundred and twenty-two (63.6%) of the 1135 STI cases were from the rural population. The gender ratio was 17:1, with 333 (46.1%) patients between the ages of 20 and 30 years. Four hundred and ninety-four (68.4%) of the rural population had education qualifications below the 10th class. The predominant occupation was a homemaker (582; 80.6%). Drug abuse was noted in 13 (1.8%) cases. Lower abdominal pain was the most clinical manifestation seen in 441 (61%) cases, followed by vaginal discharge in 89 (12.3%) cases. The majority of the patients presented with the first episode of symptoms and had a single regular partner with no symptoms in a partner. In 22.9% of cases, the partner had a history of frequent travel. In 94.1% of cases, protective measures were not used. Young married adults, female partners, lower education, and low-income classes were among those who had STIs, with frequent unprotected sexual activity. Lower abdominal pain is the most common symptom in this area.

ԵՐԻՏԱՍԱՐԴՆԵՐԻ ԱՄՈՒՍՆԱԿԱՆ ԶՈՒԳԸՆԿԵՐՈՋ ԸՆՏՐՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՀՈԳԵԲԱՆԱԿԱՆ ԱՌԱՆՁՆԱՀԱՏԿՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԸ ՀԱՄԱՑԱՆՑԱՅԻՆ ՏԻՐՈՒՅԹՈՒՄ / PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG PEOPLE'S PARTNER SELECTION IN THE INTERNET DOMAIN

In the modern world, the virtualization of the communication process has created opportunities for people to communicate across time and space. Communication with people, transmission of various information, searches for any information, etc., which take place through the Internet, give a person the opportunity not only to be informed about various changes and events taking place in the world, but also to share one's experience, one or another event in life, as well as gain recognition. The proliferation of virtual dating platforms in the Internet space has increased the possibilities of forming romantic relationships. The purpose of our work is to reveal the trends of youth in choosing a marriage partner through the Internet. To explore both young people's attitudes and subjective perceptions of the Internet domain as a partner selection platform. We used psychological tests for research and subjected the obtained results to quantitative and qualitative analysis. It can be concluded that the online space is perceived as a unique environment for forming personal relationships by young people, where finding new friends and interlocutors, as well as establishing romantic relationships and finding life partners becomes easy and effective, important and useful, pleasant and attractive.