ABSTRACT
T r a d i t i o n a l l y , marr iage vows conta ined a pledge of mutual commitment to stay w e d " t h r o u g h sickness and in heal th" and promises about l o v i n g , honor ing , protect ing and cherishi n g . Marr iage was entered into seriously and was to last as long as the partners l i v e d ; it was expected that w h e n problems and misfortunes arose, w h i c h inevitably w o u l d happen, the couple w o u l d deal w i t h and t r i u m p h over them. People settled into " m a k i n g marriage w o r k " and accepted, sometimes stoically, that they could not always have their o w n way and they w o u l d not always be happy. This attitude was re in - f o r c e d b y t h e i r o w n parents and b y most churches , and reflected a w i d e l y he ld societal expectation.
