SOCIOL 4A03 Lecture Notes - Individualism, Medicalization, Symbolic Interactionism
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The components of love:
Robert Sternberg: says the components are passion (erotic attraction), intimacy
(confiding in others and shared feelings), and commitment (intention to remain in
the relationship)
Reasons for divorce:
1. Individualism: the “me generation:
-we spend less time living together today than in the past
-larger proportions of people live alone
-not just elderly people but more younger people as well
-less inclined to get married b/c it may interfere w/ personal priorities
-these ideas are becoming more prominent
2. “Bloom is off the rose”
-rose only last a short period and then the bloom is gone
Components of love:
1. Compassion (takes a beating when it comes to marriage)
2. Commitment
3. Intimacy
-romantic love can wane after a period of time
-when in love, the other person is absolutely wonderful, perfect
love sick, smitten, don’t see their faults
-but after some time, you wake up and see that person’s faults
-you were immune to them before
-may be that the initial period of enchantment is just nature’s way of making sure
you procreate
-when the children are produced, the passion is no longer there
-in a culture whose marriage is b/c of love, that same culture will get divorced b/c
passion is short-lived
-get psychological intimacycompensates for the decrease in sexual passion
-after initial rush, you have to reorient marriage around another aspect like
commitment or intimacy
-another reason for increase in divorce:
-increased participation in the labour force
-therefore there is less dependence on men and therefore it is easier for
women to walk away
-women become independent
-women are more likely to initiate divorce proceedings then in the past
Marriage and modern stress:
-housework, childcare, senior care
-more partners are more likely to work outside of the home