Chapter 8

sexual script

a blueprint for sexual activity; the full range of motives and behaviors that guide how we act in sexual situations.

marriage

a specific family subsystem comprised of adults from two families of origins who have bonded together to form what they intend to be a stable and long-term cohabiting relationship.

role conflict

disagreements between partners about marital roles and responsibilities

conflict

disagreements over values, behaviors, family strategies, powers, or resources during which one partner seeks to achieve his or her goals at the expense of the other.

counter-role

the complementary expectations for behavior that are superimposed upon the partner as a result of the way an individual performs his or her own role.

couple identity

the framework of meaning couples establish to define themselves in relation to one another as well as to the outside world. This includes 1) each person's conjugal identity 2) the marital themes that organize the couple's basic values and beliefs and provide guidelines for behavior and 3) each partner's conjugal role, which defines the specific behaviors associated with the social position of husband or wife.

conjugal role

the prescriptions for behavior associated with the social position of a spouse.

role

the shared prescriptions for behavior associated with a social position.

conjugal identity

the unique attributes, traits, and characteristics associated with each individual as a spouse within the marriage.