Position Paper 4-5 pages , English homework help

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i attached some sources to use also i will attach some pages from the novel to talk about depression in marriage and describe specific scene


Project IV: Position Paper

Assignment:
Write an essay that takes position on the issue you researched for Project III. You will use your research as well as examples from Olive Kitteridge in your discussion of this position. You may also, optionally, use your own experience or field research in your discussion. Remember, a position doesn’t need to offer a solution or take a definitive stance; it may, for example, argue for the two main challenges to the mother-son relationship or it may argue that the central dilemma faced by a mother is between providing emotional or material support to her children.

Requirements:

The successful essay will be 4-5 pages in Times New Roman 12 inch Font. It will include 3-5 authoritative sources (likely those you have annotated for Project III, as well as examples from the novel. It will need to correctly cite and/or paraphrase passages from the sources in correct MLA form, and it will not misrepresent the ideas of the sources. Unethical source use in the Essay IV, which includes inadequate paraphrase, missing citations, and/or citing the wrong source will necessitate your retaking the course.

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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Understanding Depression in Marriage - Outline
Thesis Statement: Depression in marriage is an illness that erodes emotional and sexual
intimacy and suffuses a relationship with pessimism, resentment and anger.
I. Introduction
II. Scope
A. Groups
B. Relation between mental illness and the depression
III. Causes
A. Extra-marital affairs
B. Poor communication
C. Arguments
IV. Signs and symptoms
V. Conclusion


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Name
Tutor
Course
Date
Understanding Depression in Marriage
Marriage is a formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship. It is
the joining of two people in a bond that putatively lasts until death, but its practice is often cut
short by divorce. Over the course of a relationship, a lot happens and changes. This may include
personality change, body age and romantic love waxes and wanes. There is a lot of controversies
surrounding marriage, and they involve cultural traditions, religious beliefs, legal rulings, some
ideas about fairness and also basic human rights. Many people suffer from marital distress, and
this usually leads to depression. Depression in marriage is an illness that erodes emotional and
sexual intimacy and suffuses a relationship with pessimism, resentment, and anger.
A lot of factors contribute to depression in a marriage, and it is a multidimensional
occurrence. It can also have detrimental effects on the other partner and also the children.
Elizabeth Strout shows in her novel how a marriage survives the depression and not just one
woman’s depression, but a generation of depression (Strout Chapter 1). The primary causes of
marital distress are extra marital affairs, addictions, and excessive anger. Some of the effects of
depression in marriage include less happiness, satisfaction, and contentment of the depressed
couple in the marriage. Also, the partner of a depressed spouse may end up becoming depressed
from the depressive atmosphere and energy in the relationship. Partners also have to deal with

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the increased isolation and withdrawal of the depressed spouse and also the loss of emotional
intimacy.
Marital distress is a multidimensional phenomenon (Julia et al. 207). Looking at groups
of people with common characteristics based on their dissatisfaction in various relation domains
help understand depression in marriage from different perspectives. For instance, looking at the
various views on nontraditional and traditional gender roles in a marriage helps an individual
understand how this is associated with depression. Gender roles play a significant role in today’s
society and also have throughout history. Gender roles are the behaviors, attitudes, values and
other things that a particular culture considers appropriate for males and females. The traditional
gender roles apply to married life and marriage in general. Depression has been known to be low
in equal marriages where everything is equal but high in traditional marriages where the husband
takes on the role of a breadwinner, and the wife fulfills the role of a house maker (Hirst and
Hughes 51).
Taking into consideration other two groups of people so as to understand depression in
marriage, these groups are the white group of couples and other ethnic groups due to their
cultural differences. The United States shows striking differences between white and ethnic
marriages. However, black and white couples show similar depressive symptom levels in the
first few months of their marriage. Black husbands have higher levels of depression than white
husbands. Life stressors substantially mediate the race gap in depressive symptoms for husbands.
After putting stressors, buffers and demographic measures under control, covenant marriages
seems to buffer wives against depressive symptoms. For the husbands, the covenant marriage has
no effect and does not reduce the race gap in depression. Covenant marriages may either select

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on wives with better mental health or buffer against depressive symptoms for some wives, but it
does not have advantages for husbands, especially black husbands.
Another important aspect in understanding depression in marriage is the relation between
mental distress and mental health. Marital distress occurs when a married couple experiences
emotional or physical conflicts that threaten to end their relationship. Many problems can lead to
marital distress such as poor communication, difficulty solving problems, lack of physical and
emotional intimacy, sexual difficulties, infidelity, substance abuse, domestic abuse and negative
life events. Research shows that couples have a higher risk of experiencing marital distress early
in the marriage. Mental illness is also an aspect highly associated with depression in marriage.
People with mental illnesses are assumed that they are not able to meet marriage expectations,
but they should not be hindered from marriage.
Extra-marital affairs are on one of the leading causes of marital depression. These cases
are increasing in number; they have devastating results usually the final result is a divorce. An
extra marital affair wreaks havoc bring in unbearable emotional pain and mental trauma for the
faithful partner and may lead to depression. Infidelity will take an individual through a roller
coaster of emotions and will leave them surrounded by a lot of negativity. The association
between discovering a partner’s affair and a major depression episode is statistically significant
other demographic variables remaining constant. Also, this might lower the self-esteem of the
partner who was cheated on. The infidelity causes severe mental and emotional stress that leads
to self-accusation by the victim, and they may start blaming themselves for their spouse’s affair
(Whisman 717).
Poor communication is also one of the leading causes of depression in marriages.
Communication skills include verbal, nonverbal and listening skills. Nonverbal communication

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includes facial expressions, gestures and vocal tunes. These skills are crucial in any relationship
because they help an individual know what to say, how to make good choices and also how to
behave in different situations. Individuals with poor communication skills may be unhappy with
how their partners are behaving but are unable to express how they feel. To prevent arguments,
people try to avoid discussing bothersome issues and as a result, the person’s feelings goes
unresolved any yet changes are not made to improve the relationship (Whisman 720). Poor
communication increases the possibility of other marital problems such as lack of intimacy and
sexual differences, and they cause marital distress.
Another cause of marital distress is arguments. Mostly you find that the topic being
argued is less important compared to how the argument is being handled. If the couple has poor
communication skills, they may not be able to resolve their arguments. As a result, they may
fight often. People who are not able to compromise, negotiate differences and listen to others are
more likely to face marital distress. The major conflict causing arguments is money followed by
in-laws, cultural clashes, and differences in values or priorities. Lack of intimacy can also lead
marital stress; it is natural for strong emotions associated with courtship to decline with time.
Unfortunately, some people perceive this behavior as a loss of love feelings. It may lead to
reduced interest in sexual activities. Intimacy may also decline because of emotional stress and
sexual difficulties such as menopause, and erectile dysfunction. Sexual activities are important
for many relationships because it is one way for couples to be physically intimate and close with
one another.
Other causes of marital distress include major life transitions such as the birth of children,
retirement, employment success or advancement and also unemployment. Another factor is
negative life events such as the death of a loved one, diagnosis of a chronic or terminal illness,

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bankruptcy and also the inability to have children. Substance abuse is also another factor, this
strains the couple’s relationship and leads to increased arguments. Drugs and alcohol interfere
with a person’s judgment and cause people to behave in a way that is not normal. If people are
frequently under the influence of drugs, it may lead to decreased emotional intimacy and
decreased libido. Domestic violence also contributes to marital stress. It occurs when someone is
emotional, verbally or physically mistreated by a spouse.
The major signs and symptoms of couples in depression are that most of them
persistently feel unhappy and are dissatisfied with their relationships. The couples may fight
more and communication between them may become worse with time. Couples may be less
intimate or affectionate and may engage in sexual activities less often than they used to in the
past. Affected individuals may feel sadness; they may be depressed, jealous, worrisome, tense
and even angry (Sharma et al. S342). Couples who are experiencing depression in marriages may
experience complications such as alcoholism, anxiety; there may also behavioral or emotional
problems in children, decreased work productivity, infidelity, and even violence.
In conclusion, depression in marriages is a major cause of worry. Couples should be more
sensitive to each other’s needs, hence try to improve their communication skills. Communication
seems to be the center of all the causes of marital distress hence more attention should be paid in
this area. When a spouse is depressed, there is a likelihood of other couple becoming depressed,
and this may also affect the children. Olive is portrayed to have a bad relationship with her son
as a result of the marital depression she was going through. Depression in marriage throws a
couple into turmoil emotionally and even physically.

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Works Cited
Hirst, L. and Hughes, N. (2014). "Reverse mathematics and marriage problems with unique
solutions." Archive for Mathematical Logic, 54(1), 49–57. Print.
Julia, F., Donna, M., Castan ̃M. and Emilio, C. "Predicting Mental Health Based on Partners’
Marital Distress: A Latent Profile Analysis ." The Family Journal: Counseling and
Therapy for Couples and Famili...


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