title: A more optimistic perspective on government-supported marriage and relationship education programs for lower income couples.
abstract: Comments on the original article by Matthew D. Johnson (see record 2012-08242-001). It is important to challenge some of Johnson's points about the effectiveness and reach of interventions to lower income couples and couples of color and his suggested prioritization of basic over applied research. With emerging findings and practical knowledge gained in lower income communities from all across the United States over the past decade, we see evidence to support optimism for the potential utility of marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs to help disadvantaged and minority couples. Accordingly, continued support for these efforts is justified. We anticipate that the potential of these first-generation programs will only increase as the research Johnson called for advances our understanding of low-income and minority couple relationships, as more programs are rigorously evaluated, and as we learn and disseminate best practices from programs now in the field.
authors: School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602-6723, USA. hawkinsa@byu.edu
authors: Alan J
authors: AJ
authors: Hawkins
authors: Scott M
authors: SM
authors: Stanley
authors: Philip A
authors: PA
authors: Cowan
authors: Frank D
authors: FD
authors: Fincham
authors: Steven R H
authors: SR
authors: Beach
authors: Carolyn Pape
authors: CP
authors: Cowan
authors: Galena K
authors: GK
authors: Rhoades
authors: Howard J
authors: HJ
authors: Markman
authors: Andrew P
authors: AP
authors: Daire
mesh_terms: D006078:Government Programs / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008388:Marital Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology