| dc.description.abstract | The family in the modern world, as much as and perhaps more than any other institution has been beset by the many profound and rapid changes that have affected society and culture (FC no. 1). This situation has bore uncertainties and bewilderment in the conjugal life of the married people and those yet to embrace the vocation of marriage. In Ibanda Town Council, due to this situation, records of marriage breakups and scare to those intending to embrace sacramental matrimony are on the rise. Among the many reasons responsible for disorganising marriage institution lies poor choice of partners basing on appealing externalities. Unrealistic qualities are mistaken for authentic. That’s why the study focussed on the, “the factors considered in choosing a marriage partner in relation to marriage stability” in order to offer guidance to those yet to embrace the vocation of marriage through identifying possibly realistic qualities that should be considered. The study majorly aimed at determining the effect of the factors considered in choosing a marriage partner on marriage stability in order to see how best potential partners can consider genuine values for the good of their marriage life.
A variety of theoretical deposit regarding authentic qualities to consider for a marriage partner, including Church documents (basically Familiaris Consortio on which the study based) and other notable writers both Ugandan and foreign writers plus other online sources have indicated that realistic qualities should be carefully looked into for those intending to stay together as married couples. Blakeslee (1996 pp. 256-258) contend that these qualities should assist an individual to gauge true love rather than opportunism. All other consulted authors argue that qualities considered play a vital role in the success of marriage.
In the quest for responses from Ibanda Town Council, descriptive and cross section research survey designs in which both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used, have been employed. In this regard questionnaires, oral interviews and observation methods were very essential. Out of the 42320 people in Ibanda Town Council a sample size of 396 covering 224 female and 172 males has been considered. These methods and sample size properly fetched relevant data that has been properly and critically analysed and ably presented.
Out of the 396 respondents, 75% (297) agree that realistic qualities are proper to a successful marriage where as only 25% (99) accrue marriage breakdowns not to qualities but to rifts that come up in the process of living to the demands of the vocation of marriage. Indeed these 25% contented that marriage has nothing to do with the poor choice but can only be attributed to the failure of one of the partners or both to complement each other in collaboration. The major findings indicate that whatever the reasons staged, marriage should be a life-long union that needs a sober, mature and informed decision and this decision should arise from readiness of each partner to live with the other. Also qualities should be accorded to ensure that each partner is contented with the other. The responses also majorly indicated that poor choice based external appearances ruins marriage. Other findings indicated in the fourth chapter of this dissertation justify these views.
The study identified that the increasing secularistic tendencies and rising desire for a laissez faire environment has induced people today to abandon vital traditional approaches to courtship and marriage in general. The many secularistic views have driven away people from seeing sense in Church teaching on marriage and other state laws regarding this phenomenon. Family members, religious leaders, marriage counsellors and friends are at times never considered as possible contributors to a well directed entry into the vocation of marriage. Thus the study has called upon all prospective marriage partners to carefully consider proper qualities engraved on one’s soul; by making use of family members, religious leaders, marriage counsellors and friends where possible. Each and everyone, the future married partner and other parties who help in this duty should perform his/her duty.
The study concluded that the factors considered in choosing a marriage partner play a vital role in the future stability of marriage. | en_US |
