By Kellie Shirk
Faithfulness, sharing of responsibilities and a sense of humor.
All are part of collaborative marriages that have contributed to the field of American journalism.
Communications professor Alf Pratte presented his research, 'The Strength of Partnership: An Examination of Collaborative ('Weagle') Marriages and Their Contributions to American Journalism and Cultural Transformation' at the Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham Lecture on Thursday.
Pratte said collaborative marriages are made up of partners who are functional and help reinforce each other''s personal or professional goals.
Research shows either a strong male or a strong female dominates more than half of the marriages identified among the American journalistic elite.
However, there are several examples of collaborative marriages that have greatly contributed to American journalism and culture, Pratte said.
Just a few of the examples that Pratte presented are Cyrus and Louisa Curtis, founders of Ladies Home Journal; Dorothy Thompson and Sinclair Lewis; F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sheila Graham; and Norman and Buffy Chandler, owners and publishers of the Los Angeles Times.
Some primary characteristics of these collaborative marriages are: fidelity in marriage, sharing of household tasks, participation in child-rearing responsibilities, agreement on professional goals, mentoring and a sense of humor, Pratte said.
However, marriages that fall under the dominator paradigm, ie: marriages dominated by either the husband or wife, have different characteristics, Pratte said.
Abuse, adultery, a higher priority to professional activities than to spouse and jealousy are some of these characteristics, Pratte said.
Pratte used autobiographies, biographies, letters, diaries, poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction, art, film and interviews as sources for his research.
'This is timely research and it is good that someone has come up with some substantial results in something we haven''t taken a good look at before,' said emeritus professor Raymond E. Beckham.
The Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham Lecture was established in 1995 in honor of Beckham and his late wife.
Communications department chair, professor Laurie Wilson, announced professor Ed Adams has been selected to present his research at the Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham Lecture next year.