‘Ko-operation, ‘Ko-nflict, Avoid-‘Ko: Negotiation Strategies of Informally Separated Parents in Negotiating Child Rearing Matters with their Former Spouses

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‘Ko-operation, ‘Ko-nflict, Avoid-‘Ko: Negotiation Strategies of Informally Separated Parents in Negotiating Child Rearing Matters with their Former Spouses

ABSTRACT

Bernardino, S. N. D. & Dizon, P. D. M. (2014). ’Ko-operation,’Ko-nflict, Avoid-‘Ko: Negotiation Strategies of Informally Separated Parents When Negotiating Child Rearing Matters with their Former Spouse, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

This research study aimed to find out how informally separated parents negotiate child rearing matters which were financial, legal, and parental responsibility with their former spouses. It was found that there were four (4) negotiation strategies that separated parents employ to settle the aforementioned matters with their former spouses: cooperation, conflict, avoidance, and developing. Through focus interviews on twenty two (22) separated mothers and fathers, the researchers found that separated parents decided on a strategy that suited them based on their personal characteristics as well as marriage and separation experiences. Informants with the cooperation strategy found it easy to settle child rearing matters because of their pleasant relationship with their former spouses unlike those who employed the conflict strategy who had negative emotions with one another. Those who used the avoidance strategy were accustomed to having no communication with their ex-spouses as they shouldered all parental duties. Developing negotiation strategy, the strategy that the researchers found, is characterized by transition of the other three (3) strategies. Ideally, developing strategies are geared towards cooperation but was not the case at all times. With the conflict and avoidance strategies, more mediated communication through mobile phones and social networking sites occurred in order to reduce clash between the separated parents.