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Expressions of identity are increasingly occurring in online communication as a variety of social media have emerged. People establish and manage identities online, and experience challenges when changing their online image. Widows experience this challenge in a dramatic fashion, especially when they begin to date and reveal new relationships online. The purpose of this study was to examine the expressions of facework in the online writings of widows regarding their new romantic relationships. This illuminated the ways in which one population, young widow bloggers, deals with the challenge of online identity management. A systematic thematic analysis was conducted to describe how posts on widow blogs address the positive face needs of remarrying widows. This study discovered evidence of preventive facework, face threats and face attacks, and corrective facework used in online blogs written by widows.

Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on remarried couple outcomes is limited, particularly with regard to finances and financial conflict. The family economic stress model theorizes that economic hardship promotes economic strain, which in turn promotes emotional distress and conflict patterns that have negative impacts on relationship satisfaction and relationship stability. This study used secondary cross-sectional dyadic data to conduct an actor-partner interdependence path analysis of 158 remarried couples to examine the direct and indirect effects of each spouse's perception of economic strain on their own marital satisfaction and stability, as well as on their spouse's marital satisfaction and stability, with financial conflict as an intermediary variable. Tests for indirect effects indicated that financial conflict strongly influences the relationship between economic strain and the marital outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and stability); none of the direct paths between economic strain and the marital outcomes were significant when accounting for financial conflict as a mechanism. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, a person's perception of how much they have conflict about finances is a key mechanism that explains the association between that person's perception of economic strain and their marital satisfaction and stability, regardless of household income and marriage length. Clinicians who lack specific training in financial management but work with remarried couples experiencing economic strain and financial conflict may still be able to intervene effectively to improve relationship quality by helping spouses reduce interpersonal conflict. / Master of Science / Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on the satisfaction (overall relationship quality) and stability (propensity for divorce) of remarried couples is limited, particularly with regard to disagreements about their finances (financial conflict). This study analyzed data from 158 remarried couples to examine the possible effects of each spouse's views of their perceived inability to meet their financial demands (economic strain) on their own, as well as their spouse's, marital satisfaction and stability (marital outcomes), with their perceived financial conflict acting as a mediating variable between economic strain and marital outcomes. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, financial conflict strongly influenced the relationship between economic strain and marital outcomes, regardless of household income and marriage length, such that even though there is still a relationship between economic strain and marital outcomes apart from financial conflict, it is weaker than when financial conflict is included. In other words, risk of dissatisfaction and divorce are less about how financially strained a remarried couple perceives they are, and more about how frequently the couple perceives they have conflict about finances. Therefore, the results of this study indicated financial conflict frequency is an important mechanism for understanding how economic strain can influence remarital outcomes for both spouses. Clinicians working with remarried couples to improve their relationships, but lack specific training in financial management, may still be able to intervene effectively around the financial conflict.

Adaptability and cohesion were studied in a sample of thirty-nine remarried families, using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES III). The purpose of the study was to add to the growing body of empirical research dealing with the remarried family as a unique family form. Comparisons were made between family members and between the remarried and norm group families. The results both support and fail to support existing literature. Age of children was a factor in levels of both family adaptability and cohesion with levels being lowest during adolescent years. When pre-adolescent children were involved, remarried family adaptability was higher than in the intact norm families. This was not true when adolescents were present. Also, stepparents with no natural children scored higher in adaptability than parents with natural-born children. Remarried family satisfaction was positively correlated with adaptability but negatively correlated with cohesion. Also, family adaptability varied according to the complexity of the family. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

A random sample of sixty-eight remarried families was studied by use of FACES III, a widely accepted measure of family cohesion. The purpose of the study was to examine family cohesion in remarried families. Specifically, family cohesion in remarried families was compared with cohesion in a norm group of intact families, as well as investigated in light of the effects of specific variables associated with remarried families. The results indicated that stepparents and natural parents' perceptions of cohesion did not differ significantly. The results confirmed that cohesion levels of remarried families with adolescents were lower than the cohesion levels of other remarried families in this study. Remarried families with adolescents also were found to have significantly lower levels of cohesion than other intact families with adolescents. Cohesion levels of remarried families in other life cycle stages were not found to differ significantly from cohesion levels of other intact families. Complexity of remarried family structure and years in the remarried family did not significantly affect the perceived cohesion levels. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

Different family structures and levels of parental and financial stress were investigated in relation to children's overtly expressed fears, and secondarily, covertly measured fears and concerns. The family structures consisted of divorced and remarried families divided into those divorced less than two years and those divorced greater than two years. Intact families were used as the control group. One-hundred-twenty-one children from six to eleven years of age and their biological mothers from a semirural, southwestern town comprised the sample. The children were administered five instruments assessing overt fears, covert fears/concerns, and positiveness in family relationships. Mothers were given eight self-report measures which included a questionnaire, a report of their child's overt fears, and an indication of the positiveness in family relationships. Results indicated that the children of divorced, single mothers tended to report greater overt fears than remarried and intact families. Indications of covert fears of death and separation were also suggested. This was especially true for those single mothers divorced less than two years. Children of intact families did not generally differ from remarried groups although there were implications that remarriage too soon after divorce may impact covert fears as well as positive feelings toward the stepfather. Children of mothers reporting high levels of stress reported greater levels of overt fears than children of low stress mothers. Financial stress for mothers appeared to have greater implications for children's overt and covert fears than did parental stress. In contrast to the children of mothers reporting high levels of stress, mothers who reported low levels of stress tended to have children who reported fewer overt fears but greater covert fears and concerns. Recommendations for future research including adding parental measures to assess the coping styles as well as the effectiveness of such coping with divorce and remarriage, using different measures of overt and covert fears, and extending the study to include data from the biological fathers as well as families in which the father has custodial rights.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 329-338).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1994. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #090-0178. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 329-338).

本論文的研究目的主要探討中老年再婚者之再婚經驗，希望藉由中老年再婚者的自身經驗，來理解他們再婚的動機、促成中老年再婚決定的情境與影響因素；以及再婚後的婚姻生活調適，並從財務管理及家務分工來探討夫妻權力分化之面貌。 本研究採用質性取向的研究方法，以半結構式的深度訪談進行資料蒐，共計9名有效樣本，年齡介於53-71歲，共5名居住台北市、1名居住新竹市、另外3位則各別居於台中、彰化及雲林縣。主要研究結果如下： (一) 中老年再婚動機有六個：(1)情感上的孤單；(2)習慣有伴；(3)對圓滿人生的期待；(4)結婚較有安全感；(5)對方需要人作伴；以及(6)生活上的需求，包含家務處理的協助、資源上經濟的共享與扶助，與未來照顧的考量。其中乃由於中老年所處生命階段的影響，子女離家及退休使得他們生活感到孤單，經濟與照顧的考量也指陳出中老年人面對退休及老化所產生威脅之故。 (二) 中老年人之所以與現任配偶開展兩人關係，乃源於三種情境：(1)第三者的促成，也就是共同友人的牽線；(2)地理空間上的接近，從鄰居關係、同是身為某醫院志工而認識；(3)參與社團，透過積極參與相關媒合的社團活動而認識彼此。可知中老年再婚關係的開展始於雙方的「共同生活圈」中，個人的社會網絡為造就婚姻關係之重要媒介。 (三) 影響中老年再婚決定的因素有五：(1)衡量彼此條件，包括兩人彼此的相似性、以及受到對方吸引；(2)前段美好婚姻的影響；(3)對方給予的寬容、承諾及支持；(4)重要他人的意見，包括配偶之成年子女、老年父母；(5)社會性因素，如他人輿論等影響。由研究發現結果得知中老年再婚者對於「彼此相似性」的重視、再婚決定受到成年子女的意見的影響，突顯出台灣社會代間關係財務移轉之文化特性。 (四) 中老年再婚者婚後生活呈現出平靜且自由的圖像，因退休與配偶共處的相處時間增多，且不與公婆同住的加持下，感受到較多的自由自在；尚未退休的中老年再婚者則期待與營造夫妻共處之時光；從受訪者之話語中可知中老年再婚者婚姻關係是較少衝突的，再婚後面臨的再婚調適議題有以下幾類：(1)與配偶飲食習慣不同；(2)空間使用習慣不同；(3)夫妻生活不同調；(4)不習慣先生個性；(5)人際層面，包括與配偶子女及父母的相處。 (五) 中老年再婚因應前述生活改變議題採取的調適策略為：(1)要求對方改變；(2)順應配偶；(3)相互配合。與年輕夫妻不同的是以較柔性、且理性的溝通方式，較少與配偶產生爭執。從財務管理及家務分工來看夫妻權力之分化，可發現中老年再婚者仍以男性為共同家用支出的主責者，女性仍為家務工作之負責人，顯示中老年再婚夫妻仍然延續成年早年兩性角色分工的權力模式。

This dissertation identifies covenant as a primary framework for understanding marriage in the Bible and the divorce and remarriage texts of the New Testament. Chapter 1 defines the need for such a work and provides a basic overview of the present major positions. Chapter 2 provides a theology of marriage based upon the biblical principle of covenant and the foundational principles of Genesis 2:24: leave, cleave, and one flesh. Chapter 3 examines the primary Old Testament texts and their contribution to this discussion. Passages that are examined include Genesis 1-2, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Malachi 2:10-16, and other pertinent texts. These passages help shape one's understanding of the New Testament teachings on divorce and remarriage. Chapters 4 and 5 serve as the heart of the work and consider the words of Jesus and Paul on divorce and remarriage. It is argued in these chapters that both Jesus and Paul promote the ideal of lifelong marriage but also allow for divorce when the covenant of marriage is violated. Jesus deals with the "one flesh" aspect of the marriage covenant, and Paul addresses the "leave" and "cleave" elements. When these parameters are obstinately violated, divorce is permitted but not required. It is also important to understand and interpret the words of Jesus and Paul in their historical context, for it is only within this context that we can understand fully what they are teaching. Chapter 6 is the conclusion and provides an overview of the work as well as some pastoral implications of the research. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.