Relationships

LBTG Young Adults: 

     Even in todays society, depending upon where you live, there are different norms and cultural values about sexual orientation and gender identity. Although same sex marriage has been legalized in several countries, some states within the U.S. recognize civil unions for same-sex couples but still do not provide federal benefits covered by marriage.

Love, Marriage, and Family:

-Intimate Relationships include friendships, love, and sexuality

-Marital and Non-marital Lifestyles:

         -the proportion of young adults in the U.S. who have not yet married has increased dramatically

         -more people today are single by choice, especially women who are self-supporting

-Parenthood- men and women may have different levels of involvement in raising a child

     -marital status satisfaction tends to decline during childrearing years

     -today people have fewer children and later in life

Co-Habitation- an unmarried, committed couple involved in a sexual relationship that live together

   -becomes an alternative to marriage

Marriage- many benefits included such as: economic security, division of labor, and emotional growth sources of new identities

Divorce- can occur for many reasons, including: unrealistic expectations of marriage, financial freedom, cultural acceptance, changing lifestyles

Friendships:

-Tend to be formed in the work place, or through parenting activities

-Friendships can vary greatly on level of intimacy, shared interests, and length

-People become intimate and remain intimate through these shared disclosures, responsiveness to one another's needs, and mutual acceptance and respect

-Time spent with friends tends to decline by middle age

Patterns of Love:

Non-love- casual relationship between acquaintances (intimacy, passion, and commitment are all lacking)

Liking- closeness, affection, emotional support and understand (casual, not positive relationship)

Infatuation- only passion is present, "love at first sight"

Empty Love- can be a result of a long term relationship where intimacy and passion are lost

Romantic Love- intimacy and passion are present, both physical and emotional bonds

Companion Love- intimacy and commitment are present, but physical attraction is not present or strong

Fatuous Love- passion and commitment without intimacy

Consummate Love- love at last! All three components are present

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love:

     This theory is composed of 3 elements: intimacy, passion, and commitment. He refers to different types of relationships as being placed on a continuum. The degree to which each of these components is present determines what kind of love they feel.

Gender Differences in Friendships:

Men- tend to share information and activities, rarely share confidences with one another, focus is usually on social interaction

Women- tend to have more intimate friendships than men, more likely to discuss relationship problems, share advice and support, tend to have more close friends than men

Sexuality Trends in the U.S.:

-College women are 3x more likely to become rape victims versus the population as a whole

-Highest rates of STDs in the US among emerging adults ages 18-25

-Negative attitudes of homosexuality are slowly decreasing

-Because of aids about 30% of adults say they have modified their sexual behavior by having fewer partners, using condoms, or abstaining from sex

-Young adults of both sexes have become less permissive in their attitudes towards extramarital sex