Mandatory Marriage Classes Before Couples Get Married - Coursework Example

Policy Proposal Script Insert Insert Justification of the Format of Presentation Genre For my presentation, I decided to use a PowerPoint slide presentation. This was the best method I thought of using in presenting my work. This presentation can easily be corrected in case there is a need for correction. This might not be the case for presentation such as video clips. It also has a huge room for other features which can enhance its effectiveness. Such features include showing video clip(s) on the slides, making use of animations, customized sounds, uploading photographs among others. This method therefore allows me to ensure that I can present my work in the best manner possible without being limited in any way. Format This method is expressive and therefore I found it most appropriate for my work. It gives me room to express the project using figures, diagrams, tables, different colouration and symbols. The mode of presentation has a big room for creativity which allows the presentation of the work to be lively, attractive and entertaining. Some of the pictorials added to the presentations are very expressive and helps the reader to understand well the explanation made in the presentation. This mode also makes the work appear smart and memorable to the audience. Because of this attractiveness, the audience is more likely to be attentive to the presentation when it is made. In preparing this presentation, I used a total of eight slides and completed the work as shown below. Slide 1: Justification on why I used PowerPoint presentation method Slide 2: The introduction to the presentation Slide 3: Discusses three sub-titles (divorce causes, the importance of marriage and misconceptions about marriage). Slide 4: A detailed discussion on why the government should be interested in this policy Slide 5 & 6: Discussion on why the policy should be instituted Slide 7: Conclusion Slide 8: A list of references Audience My project is directed especially to policy makers at all levels. This is because this is a presentation which is building up support for an enactment of a policy therefore I need to convince the policy makers that this is a good policy for the society. There are other bodies which may care about this policy and thus about this presentation. The church is one of such bodies. In most churches divorce is discouraged and therefore church leaders may find this policy worth adopting in their policies. The Script of the Presentation Introduction It is important for the government to formulate a new policy, one which will require couples to take mandatory marriage classes before they officially get married. This move will minimize the ever-rising cases of divorce and all the negativity and pain that are associated with it. In this presentation, the need and urgency for the institution of this policy is shown. This is done by showing that the causes of divorce can be handled if proper counseling is carried out. It is noted, with a lot of concern, that in first five years of marriage many couples opt for divorce. This is especially the trend for those who marry when they are young. A number of misconceptions about marriage are associated with this trend. Different states are making concerted efforts to ensure that cases of divorces are kept on the lower side. It is in the best interest of the government for divorce cases to be kept on lower side because of the associated expenses that government bodies incur directly and indirectly as a result of marriages being dissolved through divorces. Apart from expenses, there are losses incurred in terms of lost productivity. Emotional and psychological disturbances on the part of the divorcing couple and their children are also common with divorces. Divorces Causes Marriage is a legal, spiritual and personal relationship between two persons. Most couples run for advice on marriage issues after they are already married and are experiencing problems in their marriages, instead of searching for advice before they get married. A policy that will dictate mandatory marriage classes will help in ensuring that couples who are likely to go for a divorce after few years do not get married and those who get married do not opt for a divorce. The following are common causes of divorce especially for those getting married at tender ages: 1. Misunderstanding on financial issues and contradicting expectations 2. Incompatibility revealed later after a wedding 3. Unwillingness to be counseled 4. Views that society is no longer interested in lifelong commitment such as marriage 5. Intrapersonal and Interpersonal developmental issues The Importance of Marriage The marriage institution is a very important institution in the society. It is this institution that brings forth a family. A family is the building block of a society. It also provides a secure haven for children to grow up and learn appropriate social skills. Needless to say is that children who are brought up by single parents lack the love of both parents. This up-bringing may have some negative psychological effects on the children. The separating parents also are affected emotionally and psychologically, and this affects their productivity. In some case, low self esteem might manifest in both or one of the parents. Misconceptions about Marriage Marriage is a private affair: This is a very wrong assumption and one that allows the marriage institution to go unchecked. According to National Marriage Coalition, marriage is a public good and that is why weddings are there to show that the private affairs are now recognized by the public. Therefore, as a public good, the government has stakes in it. Marriage is a bed of roses. The youth are mostly likely to buy this misconception. This backfires badly when one finds out that his or her partner was a human being and not an angel. Premarital counseling will help couples to realize this before it is too late for them. There is likelihood that some may consider divorce to be a simple process. This is not usually the case especially for women as it takes a lot of emotional pain to get over this process. Why the Government should be interested States that recommend counseling before marriage There is a need for policy makers to take an interest in this policy because many states are enacting policies which try to achieve the same objective as this policy, that is, to lower the number of divorce case occurring. Texas – discounts license for those who attend premarital counseling Florida – discounts license; a requirement to read the Family Law Book before wedding Oklahoma – discounts license for those who attend premarital counseling Alabama – marriage covenant bill underway: if it passes it will make premarital counseling mandatory for those who opt for marriage covenant Tennessee, Minnesota, Maryland, Alaska, California, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, and South Dakota all have incentives favoring premarital counseling Divorces are harmful to the government It has been shown that divorces are harmful to the government. -in US 500,000 children a year experiencing a parental divorce - Support for single-parent families costs the government $20-30,000/year It is the official duty and moral obligation of the government The government has a moral obligation to ensure that the society is not made up of broken marriages -Rising birth rates to unmarried women has not led to greater freedom, equality, and justice for women, but to feminization of both parenting and poverty -Research clearly shows that remarriages are generally less successful and less happy than first marriages -Marriage is a universal human institution, the way in which every advanced society conspires to obtain for each child the love, attention, and resources of a mother and a father Why the Policy should be instituted There is need to institute the policy in order to lower the number of divorce cases. According to State of Florida, the best marriages are not marriages where there is no conflict but rather those where couples know how to work through the rough spots. It is significant that children should be saved from the pain of seeing their parents’ divorce. It is also worth noting that a better and stronger society is composed of complete families. Divorces are not good as relationship skills can be learned and they can be greatly used to facilitate marriage communication skills thus avoiding conflicts. It has been noted that the first five years are the most vulnerable to divorce thus the need to ensure that a couple is well armed. Skills learned though premarital counseling will significantly help the expected couple to manage well their family and also other areas of life as the State of Florida puts it “Once relationship skills are learned, they are generalized to parenting, the workplace, schools, neighborhoods, and civic relationships” (1). Marriage and parenthood are two of the most important and most difficult jobs anyone can have. Oddly enough, you do not have to have any training or education, and you do not have to take a test. You do not even need a license to be a parent (State of Florida 1). Conclusion It is important and urgent that a policy of mandatory premarital counselling be instituted. Marriage is more than just a mutual legal agreement between two people – it is the fabric upon which a society is built. The government has an obligation to ensure that this legal contract once entered into is not broken. Most divorces are witnessed among couples who marry while still very young. These people often enter into marriage without exactly knowing the details of what they are doing. Mandatory premarital counselling will do such people a lot of good. Divorces are a huge pain to children. It is unfair for a couple to give birth to children whom they cannot raise as a family. Divorces also cost the government a lot of resources indirectly and directly therefore this policy will help to save on these unnecessary expenses. Most states have shown willingness to reduce divorce cases in their jurisdiction. This policy will significantly contribute towards this objective. Work Cited State of Florida. “Congratulation.” State of Florida, 1999. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Read More