compatibility:The capacity to live in harmony with someone whom we enjoy being with,
who will listen and support us, and share many things in common with.
complementary style of conflict:The couple acts in opposite ways.
Comstock Act: Restricted distribution of contraceptive information and devices, as well as
pornographic literature.
conflict and compromise:One of the Nichols’life-cycle core tasks, it relates to how couples
learn to compromise and resolve conflicts.
conflicted marriage:Dissatisfaction stems from internal marriage concerns; satisfaction
stems from external concerns.
conjugal family: Husband, wife and children
conservation of energy theory:Suggests we seek to acquire and maintain resources.
constructive conflict:Managing disagreements with the rules of fair fighting. This results in a
resolution strengthening the relationship.
consummate love:Passion, commitment, and intimacy are all in equal proportions.
contested divorce:The spouses cannot reach an agreement, so take their issues before a judge.
contract:One of the Nichols’life-cycle core tasks, it involves how a couple clarifies its
expectations of one another.
cooperative family economy:All family members are expected to contribute to the family
economy.
core tasks:In the Nichols’marital life cycle, these are the changes that must take place in each
stage. They are grouped in five areas: commitment, caring, communication,
conflict/compromise, and contract.
covenant marriage:Couples agree to counseling before marriage and accept more limited
grounds for divorce.
covenant:A reciprocal relationship between two people and God in which both parties swear
to be faithful.
cult of true womanhood:A 19th century idea that supported four basic attributes of female
character: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity.
cultural assimilation:“To make similar”; to blend into a larger culture and lose the unique
norms and values which distinguish a minority culture from a dominant culture.
cultural pluralism:Different ethnic groups coexist in the same society, with each group
celebrating its unique cultural norms while adhering to the laws of the larger society.
culture:The values, beliefs, and norms characterizing a group in a particular place and time.
Glossary