Arusi Network, Inc.
Arusi Network: Social Support for
African-American Christian Marriage
Why would a marriage support group be effective?
The process will be that of individuals sharing with their spouses their perspectives and feelings on a given topic related to married life, while the group witnesses. Essentially, couples will tell their stories to the group. The powerful effect of the storytelling will benefit the couple and those listening.
According to a University of Michigan study, marital quality can be assessed by the consensual view of the couple through their narrative of the history of the relationship from courtship to the present. Couples achieve consensual views of their self-identities as couples through a symbolic exchange of suitable testimony. Essentially, how a couple tells their story is predictive of the quality of the marriage (Veroff).
The process to this point is subjective because quality is determined by the couple's sense of marital well-being, irrespective of the negative or positive stressors present in the relationship. The norms established in the support groups of the Arusi Network will help couples' developing positively accelerated narratives. They will then have greater propensities for positive relationship world views, and thus, a greater sense of marital well-being in their marriages. The more a couple cognitively focuses on themselves as a unit or on their marriage, rather than on themselves as individuals, the more positive consequences it has for their marriage. They develop a relationship awareness that helps them to feel good about themselves (Acitelli).
Such social support provides seven pragmatic functions (Berkman):
Intimacy: The group provides a climate of trust where individuals are free to express their feelings without being judged. Without such intimacy, couples experiencing difficulty in marriage often feel isolated (Vaux, p. 285).
Social integration or sense of belonging: Couples sharing similar struggles, triumphs and values provide a sense of belonging to members of the group.
Opportunity for nurturing: Couples recognize their own abilities to reach out to others in a sense of duty. This is the basis for couples to be Apostolic ministers through their marriage.
Reassurance of worth: Couples and individuals gain greater self-esteem through the affirmation of the group.
Assistance: Though instrumental support is not part of the design of the group, the bonds of friendship that develop invite the provision of tangible support among group members.
Guidance and advice: Offering unsolicited advice is strongly discouraged in the group. However, as couples share situations from their relationship, observers receive guidance. The group becomes a resource where advice may be asked of a couple or individual.
Access to new contacts and diverse information: As with any group, when couples begin to network among themselves, other aspects of their lives and other relationships may become involved. Friendships among the children may develop. New option for child care, employment, housing, etc. may result through the network. Such programs not only provide mutual support but promote the use of indigenous support resources (Vaux, p. 283).
Though couples in the support group may have difficulties of a serious, pathological nature, the focus of the group will be on increasing positive exchanges between spouses. Alan Vaux in his book, Social Support: Theory, Research, and Intervention, says, "Sustaining positive exchanges and developing direct and open communication take central place in relationship enhancement interventions (p. 280)." Vaux further asserts, ". . . populating the social network with persons facing similar developmental crises or challenges and promoting a process of social comparison that facilitates the ventilation of feelings, validates new social identities, and minimizes threatening appraisals of stressors (p. 282)."