The impact of social change on Australian families

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Twelve highly experienced marriage counsellors were interviewed in order to examine their perceptions of the impact of recent social change upon urban Australian families. They indicated that currently the most frequent presenting problems involved difficulties in achieving sexual satisfaction, personal uncertainty and dissatisfaction regarding definitions of marital roles, and general difficulties in communication and conflict management. Compared to the problems of the 1960s, sexual dissatisfaction was seen to originate in couples’ sexual concepts and goals as influenced by the modern media, rather than in poor techniques, ignorance and fear. Poorly defined marital roles were viewed as emerging from diffulties in changing marital role structure from rigid autocracy to flexible equalitarianism vis-a-vis the challenge of modern feminism. The current lack of interpersonal skills in communication and sensitivity, poor understanding of personal values and goals, and an overemphasis on immediate gratification were seen as significant barriers to achieving social responsibility and subsequent relationship satisfaction.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: