Couple Relationships in the 21st Century (eBook)

Research, Policy, Practice

Jacqui Gabb, Janet Fink (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

2017 | 1st ed. 2018
XXXI, 175 Seiten
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-319-59698-3 (ISBN)

Infos

This book presents an incisive and engaging account of love, intimacy and personal life in contemporary Western society. The authors draw on rich qualitative and large-scale survey data to explore how couples communicate with each other, negotiate the pressures and pleasures of parenthood, and the vagaries of sexual desire and intimacy across life course. Focusing on 'the everyday', Couple Relationships in the 21st Century unpicks the ordinary and often mundane relationship work that goes into sustaining a relationship over time, breaking down the dichotomy between enduring relationships of quality and good enough or endured relationships. It contests the separation of couples into distinct relationship types - defined through age, parenthood or sexuality. Looking through the lens of relationship practices it is clear that there is no 'normal couple': couples are what couples do.

With a foreword by Dr Reenee Singh, Director, London Intercultural Couples Centre and Co-Director, Tavistock Family Therapy and Systemic Research Centre, this new extended edition provides an invaluable critical insight on contemporary experiences of coupledom and will be essential reading for scholars and students, clinicians working in couple and family therapy, and those involved in relationship support services.

Jacqui Gabb is Professor of Sociology and Intimacy in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at The Open University, UK.

Janet Fink is Professor of Childhood and Personal Relationships in the School of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield, UK.

Inhalt

Foreword 6
References 9
Preface 11
Politics and policy 11
Relationship trends and experiences 14
Research impact and the dissemination of findings 16
References 19
Series Editors’ Preface 23
Acknowledgements 25
Contents 27
List of Figures 29
List of Tables 30
1: Introduction 31
Researching couple relationships 31
Demographic and policy contexts 33
Academic contexts 35
Socio-cultural contexts 36
Couple practices 38
The book 42
Notes 46
References 46
2: Relationship Work 53
Gifts and thoughtful gestures 57
Household chores and childcare 59
Cooking 62
Couple time 66
Home comforts 69
Notes 76
References 76
3: Communication 79
Talking and listening 80
Relating to each other 84
Online and off-track 86
Deep knowing, beyond words 90
Differences, arguments and reflexive bickering 92
Laughter, humour and banter 96
The relations of love and loving relations 98
Notes 104
References 104
4: Sex and Intimacy 107
Engendering intimacy 108
The in/significance of sex 113
Sex and parenting 117
Making space for intimacy 120
Ageing bodies and relationship duration 125
Notes 130
References 131
5: Unsettling Coupledom 134
Parenting 137
Pets 140
Cultural difference 144
Non-monogamies 148
Friends 151
Couple display 154
Notes 158
References 158
6: Conclusion 163
Time and the mundane nature of relationship work 164
The meanings of love in contemporary times 166
Communication and the importance of home 168
Conclusion 171
References 172
Appendix 1: Researching Couples’ Long-­Term Relationships 173
Researching couples’ long-term relationships 173
Online survey 174
Qualitative design and methods 176
Appendix 2: Tables 182
Bibliography 189
Index 191

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 26.8.2017
• Reihe/Serie: Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life
• Reihe/Serie: Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life
• Zusatzinfo: XXXI, 175 p. 8 illus.
• Verlagsort: Cham
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Geschichte / Politik ► Politik / Gesellschaft
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie ► Klinische Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie ► Persönlichkeitsstörungen
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie
• Schlagworte: Family • Internet • marriage • parenting • same-sex
• ISBN-10: 3-319-59698-5 / 3319596985
• ISBN-13: 978-3-319-59698-3 / 9783319596983