ABSTRACT
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the conflict resolution practices of couples within families in the Nsukka local government area of Enugu State. Specifically, the study is designed to determine the couples levels of awareness of marital conflicts, identify the causes of marital conflicts among couples within families, the communication practices of conflict resolution among couples, couples negotiation practices of conflict resolution, determine compromising practices of couples in conflict resolutions, and the couples’ practices of seeking third parties in conflict resolution. Six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 2,026 respondents, comprising of 1013 registered couples that are living together that is 1013 husbands and 1013 wives. The sample size for the study was 100 couples (that is, 100 husbands and 100 wives) drawn by simple random sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts. Two lecturers from Department of Vocational Teacher Education and one expert from Measurement and Evaluation all from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Two hundred copies of questionnaire were distributed and all were retrieved by hand making a retrieval rate of 100%. The questionnaire was trial tested on 20 respondents outside the population in order to test the internal consistency and reliability coefficient using Cronbach alpha which yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.69. Direct delivery and retrieval method was employed by the researcher with the help of three research assistants. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the research questions while t-test were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that couples agreed that all the items of awareness of marital conflicts are on the high level. Couples agreed on the identified causes of marital conflicts, that communication, negotiation, compromising and the use of third party practices are low among couples in the study area. Four recommendations were made among which are couples should adopt good communication, negotiation, compromise and third parties conflict resolution practices for improved marital harmony in the area; marriage seminars should be organized for couples either by social welfare or churches so as to increase couples’ level of awareness of marital conflict resolution, marriage seminar should be organized for couples either by social welfare or churches to enlighten couples on communication; negotiation, compromising and third party practices for marital conflict resolutions, marriage seminar should be organized for couples either by social welfare or churches to enlighten couples on third party practices of marital conflict resolutions
