CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Marriage has remained one of the most intense relationships which human civilization has witnessed and sustained over centuries. Loosely, it can be defined as a culturally recognized union between two people that establishes various rights and responsibilities between them, their extended family (including their family of origin), and children born out of the union. The fundamental basis of any marriage is the personal association between two individuals for conjugal living, support, mating and reproduction; though all of these need not be met exclusively between any specific couple. The legal and moral dimensions of marriage are also important, as that has played much role to keep this practice respectful, alive and replicable over generations. Throughout the history and evolution of human civilization, a successful marriage has been found beneficial both for the physical and psychological health of a couple, replicated persistently in various scientific researches.
The on-going pandemic has brought changes in social behavior with much tendencies of marriages either distressed or sustained depending on the disposal of partners. In the first three months after COVID-19 emerged Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, a devastating number of new cases were reported across China and several countries around the world. And it was finally declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 2020 (WHO 2020). Evidence indicates that COVID-19 transmitted through respiratory droplets via contact routes such as the mouth, nose, and conjunctiva or eyes (UNICEF 2020).However it was necessary for countries to effect total Lock downs of virtually every type of gathering place, stay-at-home measures instituted to combat the spread of the virus, which forced many families and couples to live in much closer and continual contact than normally experienced. According to Richard S(2020) When partners are together for an extended time in the same household, they can get tired of each other. Plus, they are stressed about health and safety and negotiating new responsibilities about work and family life.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Every relationship goes through testing times when the commitment of the partner is challenged. Their previous adjustment, coping strategies adopted, and intimacy also determine this survival of the relationship. Some of these common testing times include change of homes, jobs, sex roles, and responsibilities of children. Unfortunately, the current COVID-19 pandemic is a combination of several challenges that has brought along with it several unexpected changes and new challenges (pressures of work from home, new sex roles in the absence of domestic help) and adjustment to which invariably bring a lot of stress . Hence, struggling with the changes and spending a significant amount of time together as couples within the four walls of the house evokes underlying conflicts of an already troubled marriage or the fear of the spread of corona virus with the social distancing order can impede the emotional companionship among couples which could slightly affect their marriage relationship. Hence, it must be considered that in several cases,the current pandemic crisis could only be unmasking or worsening existing marital distress.Therefore it is on this premise that this study is set to examine the effect of covid-19 lockdown on marriages.