The contribution of the PREPARE program on marriages within the South African context

Abstract

Marriages and intimate relationships have undergone significant changes over time. These changes have brought challenges, especially in the 21st century. The high rate of divorce is an indication that couples are not always prepared to deal with the challenges that marriage presents. Two worlds collide when a couple enter into a relationship and it is how they negotiate these changes and challenges that determines the success of the marriage and the couples’ marital satisfaction levels. Therefore, it is imperative that couples receive marriage preparation to assist them in negotiating the changes and challenges before embarking on the journey of marriage.

South Africa is a country characterised by diversity in terms of race, language, culture and class, to name but a few. Despite global impacts on marriages and families, such as legislation and the development of technology, these country-specific diversities heighten the challenges that couples experience in marriage and intimate relationships.

The PREPARE program is a widely-used marriage education program in South Africa. It uses a combination of assessment methods and skill building exercises to assist couples in preparing for marriage and improving their marital satisfaction levels. Many studies have been conducted on the PREPARE program internationally, but not in South Africa. As this program is widely used in this country, this study has explored the contribution of the PREPARE program on marriages within the South African context.

The research methodology used for this study was based on a mixed-methods research design. In the quantitative phase of this study, the couples’ marital satisfaction levels were obtained using a standardised measuring instrument known as the Marital Satisfaction Scale (MSS). As the PREPARE program is based on assessing the marital components of a relationship, a report is provided where couples are scored, based on positive couple agreement. The MSS scores are then compared to the initial scores as indicated in the PREPARE program. The purpose of this is to determine whether the PREPARE program has had an impact on couples’ marital satisfaction levels, after being married for some time. The second phase of the research study, the qualitative phase, focuses on documenting the experiences of couples to determine how the PREPARE program has impacted on their marriages. A semi-structured interview was used for this purpose. To examine the effects of the PREPARE program in more depth, the researcher interviewed the counsellors/ facilitators who administer the program, to ascertain their findings.

An in-depth literature study was done on the various components of marriage, as well as intervention in marriages, with specific focus on the PREPARE program as an intervention method. Comparative studies were conducted on the challenges and successes of the PREPARE program with the premise that these challenges may or may not be applicable within the South African context.

Using a mixed-methods research design, this study revealed that the PREPARE program does positively contribute to marital satisfaction of couples in South Africa too, after couples have been married for some time. It also has a positive effect on the counsellors administering the program. Several benefits of the program were identified by the participants. One of the major limitations of the study was that the research participants represented a homogenous population, and further research would therefore need to be conducted on other populations to yield generalised results. However, the data gathered from the counsellors/ facilitators rendered insightful recommendations on how the program could be adapted to accommodate couples from diverse cultural and language backgrounds within the South African context.

The research question was answered in that the contribution of the PREPARE program on marriages in South Africa was explored; although further research will need to be done to conclude these findings. From the results of this study, conclusions were deduced and recommendations made.