Relationship Issues Relationship Issues and Trendsand Trends

What about romantic love?What about romantic love?

The society in which we live accepts the The society in which we live accepts the concept of ‘romantic love’ as the basis for concept of ‘romantic love’ as the basis for marriagemarriage

It underlines the expectation that marriage It underlines the expectation that marriage meets each individual’s ‘need’ to be loved meets each individual’s ‘need’ to be loved and desired, and the reciprocal need to be and desired, and the reciprocal need to be exclusively with the one they desireexclusively with the one they desire

In a sense, this clouds the importance of In a sense, this clouds the importance of marriage as a social, legal, and religious marriage as a social, legal, and religious instiutioninstiution

Do couples actually get that ‘enduring Do couples actually get that ‘enduring happiness’ that seems to underlie happiness’ that seems to underlie marriage today depends on their abilities marriage today depends on their abilities to negotiate and maintain their to negotiate and maintain their relationship in the circumstances in which relationship in the circumstances in which they livethey live

Relationships that are outside ‘the norms’ Relationships that are outside ‘the norms’ of family and society seem to be less of family and society seem to be less stablestable

Marriages between people from different Marriages between people from different social or cultural backgrounds are also social or cultural backgrounds are also less apt to endureless apt to endure

What is Divorce?What is Divorce?

The legal dissolution of a marriageThe legal dissolution of a marriage Sometimes there are just too many Sometimes there are just too many

‘underlying’ issues – family ‘underlying’ issues – family pressures, cultural pressures for a pressures, cultural pressures for a couple to deal withcouple to deal with

Breaks in TrustBreaks in Trust

This is one of the most fundamental This is one of the most fundamental things that threaten a relationship:things that threaten a relationship:

ViolenceViolence Extramarital sexual relationshipsExtramarital sexual relationships

IssuesIssues

We are going to look at a number of We are going to look at a number of issues in this chapter:issues in this chapter:

Intermarriage (or heterogamy)Intermarriage (or heterogamy) Same-sex relationshipsSame-sex relationships InfidelityInfidelity Spousal ViolenceSpousal Violence DivorceDivorce

IntermarriageIntermarriage

Marriage between partners who are Marriage between partners who are from different social, racial, religious, from different social, racial, religious, ethnic, or cultural backgroundsethnic, or cultural backgrounds

The opposite of homogamyThe opposite of homogamy Intermarriage in Canada is more Intermarriage in Canada is more

common in urban regionscommon in urban regions There has been little research on this There has been little research on this

so farso far

Because we live in a ‘multicultural’ Because we live in a ‘multicultural’ society, the more likely it is that society, the more likely it is that young people will meet someone from young people will meet someone from a different backgrounda different background

Claude Guldner: different customs Claude Guldner: different customs and rituals are the ‘roots’ of a family and rituals are the ‘roots’ of a family

When a couple marries, those ‘roots’ When a couple marries, those ‘roots’ need to be negoitated and decisions need to be negoitated and decisions mademade

ChallengesChallenges

Interfaith marriages – raising of Interfaith marriages – raising of childrenchildren

Ethnic backgrounds – gender rolesEthnic backgrounds – gender roles

HomeworkHomework

Read the “Point of View” Does Love Read the “Point of View” Does Love Conquer All”?Conquer All”?

Pg 228-229 and answer the Pg 228-229 and answer the questions on pg 229questions on pg 229