Introduction
It is necessary to outline the known data to properly assess the effect of choice on the quality and longevity of marriage and how it affects conflict resolution techniques and outcomes. This information should include modern knowledge about marriage’s sociological and psychological sides and issues that may lead to conflict. In addition to that, the approach to problem-solving, communication skills, and decision-making habits are essential to acknowledge. Moreover, since the study will use journaling as its primary method, the technique’s theoretical implications and analysis practices should be researched. Therefore, this literature review aims to discuss the practical use of journaling, the socio-psychological effects of divorce and its risk, and the role of communicative skills and subjective choice.
Journaling
Journaling is an example of a method used in qualitative research to gather data. It has become widely used in recent years as it provides detailed answers and lets the researcher find the cause-effect links that are not obvious in qualitative research (Lutz & Paretti, 2019). Meyer and Willis (2019) also emphasize the option to revisit the records when needed and analyze them using a different prism if the findings provide the author with additional information. Kross and Giust(2019) add that the researchers may use specific question constructions to help the respondents focus on the observed phenomenon, which is a great way to collect relevant data.
Moreover, creating a coding system for analyzing the results is a practical way to draw conclusions and create numerical data. These keywords may signify choices, problems, and outcomes that happened after addressing the issue. The journaling theme has no relevant gaps but provides sound reasoning for using it in the study. As the work analyzes personal choice and its effects on marriage, these articles may be used to construct a well-designed methodology that will provide essential information.
Sociological Aspects of Divorce
The problem of divorce and its effect on society should be discussed to reflect on how it factors subjective perspective on marriage. The most recent articles conclude that divorce rates steadily decline (Cohen, 2019; Zaitov & Teshayev, 2022; Manning & Payne, 2021; Raley & Sweeney, 2020). Cohen (2019) connects it partially to an increased awareness of mental health and the benefits of therapy but also makes an accent on socioeconomic uncertainty that may postpone big decisions for troubled couples.
Manning and Payne (2021) support the latter and state that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decline in divorces and marriages, showing how people tend to avoid sufficient change in this economic climate. At the same time, individual experiences may have drastically different perspectives, which makes the gap for a good qualitative analysis obvious. Therefore, the statistical literature shows that the current trend is aimed at avoiding separation.
The social consequences of divorce are also well-presented in the literature. Zaitov & Teshayev (2022) introduce the results of this action on society: a decrease in individual economic stability, child trauma, and a psychological rehabilitation period that may be detrimental to ex-partners. Sbarra and Whisman (2022) focus on the traumatic complications that may affect personal income or productiveness, which damages the prospects of returning to a healthy way of life. Both articles state that public opinion on separation continues to be stigmatized. However, the literature lacks qualitative research on divorce anxiety and the reasons that may lead to it. Thus, quantitative studies suggest that the individual perception of divorce as a conflict resolution option is less likely but still may happen, which helps discuss the possible outcomes of detrimental choices in marriage.
Family Risk Factors
Finding the risk factors that detrimentally affect the quality of marriage is an essential piece of information. When analyzing the results, encoding the keywords that signify issues may be helpful for later conclusion-making. According to Zaitov & Teshayev (2022), the most relevant reason for separation is family disruption of different kinds: ones involving the couple, the closest family, and others. It is unclear how personal choice is involved in the mechanism, which accents the gap in research.
The same applies to the Prime et al. (2020) article, which discusses the risks increased by the need for constant communication in COVID-19 circumstances. While the work accents the lack of personal space as an example of a risk factor, it does not provide mechanisms that may be utilized to avoid it. A similar gap may be found in the research by Humphreys et al. (2020), which states the increased domestic violence rates in the isolation period but fails to present an option to prevent it using personal choice. Thus, personal choice and its consequences as risk factors are underrepresented in the literature.
Communication Skills
The COVID-19 pandemic also increased the focus on communication skills as essential personal relationship choices. The article by Kılıçarslan and Parmaksız (2023) is an excellent example of communication being central to increasing the strength of marriage and preventing problems. While it features a choice to pay attention to the partner, it does not analyze this mechanism from the perspective of the choice-effect link.
The same gap may be illustrated by the work of Prime et al. (2020), who feature the choice to increase the level of communication in an isolated situation but do not feature it as a personal decision. Similarly, an article by Evans et al. (2020) discusses domestic relationships and the effect of forced communication in stressful situations but does not outline the choice as a distinct factor. Thus, even though the literature features the effects of good communication skills on marriage, there is a gap in analyzing choice and its outcomes in these circumstances.
Subjective Choice
The problem of subjective choice and its effect on individuals is highly underrepresented in modern research. The literature usually focuses on the consequences of personal decisions for the community, as illustrated by Atkinson et al. (2020). However, this research needs to include an analysis of how subjective choice affects a person’s psychology. Moreover, there is a substantial gap in academic knowledge on decision-making in relationships, especially in marriage. Therefore, this scale of decision-making should be explored more thoroughly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, current literature varies in coverage of topics that should be addressed in the research. While it provides a well-defined basis for methodology and presents several articles on the theoretical and practical usage of journaling when researching interpersonal communications, it has gaps in other spheres. The most common problem is the difference in perspectives. The problems are not analyzed from the standpoint of personal choice, which creates a gap that needs to be explored.
However, the mechanisms of choice are also underrepresented in psychology, which accents the importance of the topic. Moreover, even though divorce rates continue to decrease, they continue to be a severe problem for the community. Therefore, the literature review shows the necessity of closing the gaps and researching the topic of personal choice and its effect on marriage.
References
Atkinson, S., Bagnall, A.-M., Corcoran, R., South, J., & Curtis, S. (2020). Being well together: Individual subjective and community wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21(5), 1903–1921. Web.
Cohen, P. N. (2019). The Coming Divorce Decline. Socius, 5. Web.
Evans, S., Mikocka-Walus, A., Klas, A., Olive, L., Sciberras, E., Karantzas, G., & Westrupp, E. M. (2020). From “it has stopped our lives” to “spending more time together has strengthened bonds”: The varied experiences of Australian families during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Web.
Humphreys, K. L., Myint, M. T., & Zeanah, C. H. (2020). Increased risk for family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrics, 146(1), 1–3. Web.
Kh. Zaitov, E., & Teshayev, D. M. (2022). Family conflict and divorce as a social problem. Eurasian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 5, 1–5. Web.
Kılıçarslan, S., & Parmaksız, İ. (2023). The mediator role of effective communication skills on the relationship between phubbing tendencies and marriage satisfaction in married individuals. Computers in Human Behavior, 147. Web.
Kross, J., & Giust, A. (2019). Elements of research questions in relation to qualitative inquiry. The Qualitative Report,24(1), 24–30. Web.
Lutz, B., & Paretti, M. (2020). Development and implementation of a reflective journaling method for qualitative research. 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings.
Manning, W. D., & Payne, K. K. (2021). Marriage and divorce decline during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of five states. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 7. Web.
Meyer, K., & Willis, R. (2019). Looking back to move forward: The value of reflexive journaling for novice researchers. Journal of Gerontological Social Work,62(5), 578–585. Web.
Prime, H., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Psychologist, 75(5), 631–643. Web.
Raley, R. K., & Sweeney, M. M. (2020). Divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 82(1), 81–99. Web.
Sbarra, D. A., & Whisman, M. A. (2022). Divorce, health, and socioeconomic status: An agenda for psychological science. Current Opinion in Psychology, 43, 75–78. Web.
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