Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension faculty members are increasingly involved in offering couple and relationship education (CRE), but some have limited background in this format of family life education. This study used a phenomological approach to examine the experiences of Extension faculty members who offered CRE in their respective counties for their first time. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. Four themes emerged from the interview data. First, considerations for offering this type of education included valuing CRE, having sufficient and specific knowledge about the needs of the county for CRE, and access to other forms of resources (mentors, previous training, or funding). Second, successes were discussed in terms of creating positive partnerships, successful recruitment strategies, and resources (utilization of funds and getting trained in CRE for the event). Third, faculty members described challenges including a lack of partnerships, limited resources, recruitment struggles, and lack of sufficient funds. Fourth, the reflections from the faculty members included plans and changes for future programming as faculty members reflected back on their actual experiences. These findings provide guidance for Extension faculty members with limited experience who are interested in offering CRE.

[pt] Esta dissertação se insere no campo do Design & Emoção. Seu tema é a relação afetiva que as pessoas estabelecem com os objetos e seu objetivo, estudar as experiências promovidas pelos objetos usados pela primeira vez. O método adotado para o desenvolvimento desta investigação foi o de entrevistas e conversas com pessoas de idades e origens distintas. Este estudo foi norteado pelo pensamento e pelas idéias de importantes autores do campo, como António Damásio e a idéia de que os objetos têm competência emocional e evocam emoção e sentimento; Donald Norman e os três aspectos do design: o design visceral, o design comportamental e o design reflexivo; Peter Stallybrass e sua reflexão sobre a vida social das coisas e sobre os objetos, onde imprimimos as nossas marcas e que carregam a nossa memória; e Patrick Jordan e a idéia de que os produtos podem proporcionar diversos prazeres: o físico, o social, o psicológico e o ideológico. A fim de contextualizar, enriquecer e ilustrar o pensamento destes autores, foram utilizados relatos dos entrevistados sobre suas experiências de uso de algo pela primeira vez. Este estudo foi motivado pela idéia de que o design é um processo intencional, e, assim sendo, é possível projetar objetos capazes de evocar sentimentos. Neste sentido, as conclusões gerais são que os objetos que usamos pela primeira vez inauguram e participam de importantes fases da vida e de rituais de passagem; nos apresentam novos universos; lembram pessoas; intermediam ações sociais; podem nos levar a adotar novos hábitos e condutas; e, ainda, evocam sentimentos como auto-dependência ou independência; estou crescendo ou estou podendo e incapacidade e exclusão. / [en] This dissertation inserts in the field of Design & Emotion, which subject is the affective relationship that people establish with the objects. The objective of this text is to study the first-time experiences of people with the objects. The method used for the development of this investigation was the one with interviews and talks with people from different origins and ages. This study was guided based on the thoughts and ideas of important authors on this field, as António Damásio and the idea that objects have emotional competence and evoke emotions and feelings; Donald Norman and the three aspects of design: the visceral design, the behavioral design and the reflexive design; Peter Stallybrass and his reflexion about the social life of things and about the objects, where we put our sings; that carry our memory; and Patrick Jordan and the idea that the products can provide many pleasures: the physical, the social, the psychological and the ideological. In order to context, to enrich and to illustrate the thoughts of these authors were used stories of the interviewed people about their experiences of using something for the first time. This study was motivated by the idea that design is an intentional process and, being like that, is possible to project objects able to evoke positive feelings and trigger positives changes of behavior for the society. In this direction, general conclusions are that the objects that we use for the first-time inaugurate and participate of important phases of the life and rituals of passage; in them they present new universes; they remember people; they participated of social actions; they can in taking them to adopt new habits and behaviors; and, still, evokes feelings as self-sufficiency or independence; I am growing up or I being able and incapacity and exclusion.