MARRIAGE COUNSELLING 219 



interests and needs of the audience. A typical series for young people might 

 cover the following ground: 



1. The personal, social, and eugenic values of marriage and the family. 



2. The biological basis of marriage, — difference between the sexes and 

 the importance of understanding this physical, mental, and emotional dif- 

 ferentiation, for the promotion of successful mating. 



3. The choice of a mate. 



4. Concerning relations and attitudes within the family in general; and in 

 particular, those relating to division of labor and division of authority; 

 family finances, the use of leisure time, and parent-child relationships. 



5. Supposed substitutes for marriage, as compared with normal family 

 life; and the psychological problems involved in the relationships of the two 

 sexes before marriage. 



6. Causes of family difficulties and how they may be avoided. 



Such a series, developing contact with a group of intelligent and serious- 

 minded young people for six weeks, gives an opportunity to stress some of 

 the practical problems of the eugenics program: the necessity for wider and 

 better acquaintance between the two sexes in the adolescent period, as a 

 prerequisite to the wise choice of a mate at the proper time, for instance. 

 The Institute's staff always attempts to find community machinery to fur- 

 ther the various aspects of the eugenics program, and in this way provide 

 for a continuing effort to better local conditions. 



Beyond this, much of the time and energy of the Institute are occupied 

 in providing material for teachers all over the United States, particularly in 

 high schools. The need felt for this sort of thing, and the lack of general 

 knowledge as to where help can be obtained, have led to a surprisingly large 

 correspondence. Such contacts are included under the heading "educa- 

 tional" in the tabular statement above. 



Special effort has naturally been made to aid the high schools in Los An- 

 geles county, which have already set a high standard in undertaking to pre- 

 pare their students for marriage and parenthood. Home economics courses 

 are appearing in transparent disguise as Social Arts, — thus encouraging the 

 registration of boys who might think that home economics sounded too 

 much like a course for girls! The Institute is often called on to furnish 

 speakers in these courses, when the teacher feels that there are some aspects 

 of the subject which she is not well qualified to handle. Fortunately, the 

 number of married teachers (about one-half the women teaching in the Los 

 Angeles city schools are married) assures better help for the pupils than 

 could be given in some cities. 



While this educational work might well be done elsewhere under other 



