Negotiating Power and Communication in Contemporary Family and Marriage Systems: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

Marriage and family institutions are undergoing profound transformation under the pressures of sociocultural change, gender reconfiguration, legal intervention, and intensifying communicative demands. These shifts have amplified tensions surrounding authority, autonomy, emotional responsibility, and intergenerational obligation. This integrative conceptual review synthesizes findings from five recent empirical studies conducted across diverse sociocultural contexts; Australia, Africa, Indonesia, the United States, and Korea to examine how communication operates simultaneously as a site of power negotiation, relational conflict, and adaptive resilience within contemporary families. Drawing on scholarship on forced marriage, cultural transformation, religious discourse, work–family conflict, and intergenerational relationships, the article identifies recurring communicative dynamics, including moral coercion, emotional labor, gendered expectations, and institutional strain. The analysis demonstrates that while contemporary marriage is increasingly characterized by instability and negotiation, family relationships often persist through adaptive communicative practices. The article advances a theoretically integrated framework that positions communication as the central infrastructure of contemporary marriage and family life, contributing to scholarship in family communication and relationship studies.