Date of Award:

5-1990

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Human Development and Family Studies

Department name when degree awarded

Family and Human Development

Committee Chair(s)

Glen O. Jenson

Committee

Glen O. Jenson

Committee

Thomas R. Lee

Committee

E. Helen Berry

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the coping strategies used by dairy-farm couples. The independent variables of size of farm, where the respondents grew up, off-farm employment, age, amount of formal education, and debt-to-asset ratio of the farm are analyzed to determine their impact on the use of coping strategies by the dairy-farm husbands and wives.

A sample of 116 dairy farm-couples was drawn from five counties in Northern Utah. The farm husbands and wives were each interviewed separately using a structured questionnaire.

Due to the racial and religious composition of the sample and to its specific nature, the results of the study cannot be generalized to other populations of dairy farmers in other states or to other types of farms.

The F-COPES (Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales) developed by McCubbin, Larsen, and Olson in 1982 were used to categorize the dairy-farm couple's coping strategies into the following subscales: Passive Appraisal, Reframing, Mobilizing the Family to Acquire and Accept Help, Acquiring Social Support, and Seeking Spiritual Support.

The results of the study indicated there were significant differences between the scores of farm husbands and wives on the coping strategies. The husbands scored statistically higher on the coping strategies Reframing, Passive Appraisal, and Acquiring Social Support than did the wives.

Additional results indicated there were also significant differences between spouses in the correlation of coping strategies with the independent variables. Reframing was substantively correlated with age for farm husbands. The farm's debt-to-asset ratio was correlated statistically with Reframing for farm husbands. Mobilizing the Family to Acquire and Accept Help was statistically correlated with age for farm wives. Acquiring Social Support was statistically related to the amount of formal education for farm wives.

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