The word love has different meanings depending on what context it is used in, sometimes it means having a deep affection towards someone or something, love for but here I am going to try and answer the question, “Is there a sociology of love?”. In my essay I am going to discuss a sociology of love referring to the article on the study conducted by Gabb and Fink, in which they use multiple research methods to study relationship behaviours and personal lives.
They have provided a detailed description of how the couple tailor their relationships, including the emotions invested in their relationships. Each couple dealing with their love relationships in a different their way. The study looked at different sexual relationships. Love crosses
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These are the principles set in sociology to answer, illustrate, describe or relate to a certain phenomenon, to give us a perception of a subject. The sociology theories are to enable us to analyse, predict or explain our social sphere. There are macro and micro level analysis of how perspectives work. I am going to evaluate contrasting sociological perspectives to assess particular perspective in Gabb and Fink’s article about love relationships.
A Marxist also known as conflict theory, a macro or structural sociological analysis of society, has an idea that men are the breadwinners, the providers in a love relationship. This theory claims that there are gender roles in a sociology of love. It portrays the male partner as the one who goes out to earn a living for the family while the female plays a role of a homemaker.
A Marxist theory described Sumaira’s behaviour as fitting into a homemaker position where a woman takes a traditional position to take care of the household duties and serving her working husband, but also the writer gets the impression that her diary is written to impress the reader as her life seems too perfect (Gabb and
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Structural Functionalists describes the purpose of the love relationships in society. The functionalist claims that the main role the love relationships is to safeguard and reassure both the economic and social stability in the society. Members of this social institution assume different roles which compliment each other, the man becomes the provider the woman a homemaker. Relations consists of real emotions and experiences shared which binds people together such as having children and raising them up, (Gabb and Fink 2015).
(ii). Symbolic interactionist’s theory of the sociology of love describes love relationships at a micro level in comparison to the functionalist’s theory. It looks at the couples everyday interactions closely. It looks at how partners interpret symbolic values and habits of couples and how labour and experiences are shared within this social institution.
(iii). Conflict theory includes works of Marx, Engel, Weber and many other social theorists. Engel argued that marriage promoted feminism, men controlled women and children. It stresses social inequalities in a sociology of love, men in dominant position and even if women are employed socially they are still expected to do domestic duties when they come, whereas men come home to rest and wait to be served by their
In the LGBT community, they develop intimate relationships in the same stages as heterosexual couples however they resolve conflicts more positively. Due to them being in a relationship with the same-sex partner, they approach roles in a relationship and marriage using egalitarianism. We all give and receive love differently. Knox & Schacht discuss the different types of loves styles a person’s desires from their relationships such as ludic, pragma, eros, mania, storge, and agape. These different love styles also express how lovers can understand and relate to one
The article, “Measurement of Romantic Love” written by Zick Rubin, expresses the initial research aimed at presenting and validating the social-psychological construct of romantic love. The author assumed that love should be measured independently from liking. In this research, the romantic love was also conceptualized to three elements: affiliative and depend need, an orientation of exclusiveness and absorption, and finally a predisposition to help.
Sociology cannot be clearly explained as there are many different theories and theorists; so far none of them have been defined as a correct answer. Although with all this information of theories and theorists sociology is relatively explained as agreed philosophies that delivers a reason for human society. Sociological theories are like most other theories, they are selective, and there is no quantity of theory to explain everything or define the infinite amount of information that exist or comprehend the methods of observing reality. Sociological theories vary and can be linked to each other according to various criteria. The two main perspectives of sociology are the micro sociological approach and the macro sociological approach. The micro sociological approach is based more on the persons being capable of their own independent thoughts feelings and behaviour; therefor society is built through their interactions amongst each other and the significances they attach to them. This approach is defined using Social Action Theory and Symbolic Interactionism. The Macro Sociological approach is on a much bigger scale and consists of a person being born into a current society which will then shape their behaviour. It centres on the organisations, values and the culture of that particular society and how it impacts an individual and their role in life. This approach is made clearer using Functionalism, Feminist and Conflict Theories.
It contains adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults” (p.1). Parents are the main influence in a child’s life and have the responsibility to be affectionate and nurturing towards their children. Conversely, dysfunctional parents with destructive influences tend to have troubled kids. Depending on the child’s social environment, there are some children in this world whom are not as fortunate enough to have a loving mother and father. The functionalist perspective focuses on keeping the family functioning regardless of the dysfunctions that can occur. (Bereska 10) A dysfunctional family is a threat to the stability of the greater society. However, from this functionalist perspective other structures come in by filling in the gaps that are missing in order to restore normality/ the
Warren Farrell is a well educated man who focuses his attention on gender. In his essay “Men as Success Objects,” he writes about gender roles in male-female relationships. He begins, “for thousands of years, marriages were about economic security and survival” (Farrell 185). The key word in that statement is were. This implies the fact that marriage has changed in the last century. He relates the fact that post 1950s, marriage was more about what the male and female were getting out of the relationship rather than just the security of being married. Divorce rates grew and added to the tension of which gender held the supremacy and which role the individuals were supposed to accept. “Inequality in the workplace” covered up all of the conflicts involved with the “inequality in the homeplace”(Farrell). Farrell brings to attention all ...
One member usually gives up their last name to take their partner’s name, finances and other resources are often shared, and each partner may sometimes even give up a loved hobby to spend more time with the other person. These sacrifices can lead to the “loss in sense of self”. In many marriages, partners may promise “unconditional love” which is simply not true according to Fredrickson. In this quote, Fredrickson illustrates what marriage actually is “Even so, that special bond and the commitments people often build around it are better taken as the products of love- the results of many smaller moments in which love infuses you- rather than as love per se” (Fredrickson 108). According to this, love is those shorter moments in which we experience it instead of the actual marriage, which occurs because of these moments.
Humboldt Journal of Social Relations 32.1, TRANSLATIONAL APPLIED SOCIOLOGY (2009): 158-83. JSTOR.Web. 11 May 2014. Chalmers, Jennifer H. "Romantic Love: Is It a Realistic Goal for Marriage Therapy?" Romantic Love: Is It a Realistic Goal for Marriage Therapy?
Robert Nozick’s Love’s Bond is a clear summary of components, goals, challenges, and limitations of romantic love. Nozick gives a description of love as having your wellbeing linked with that of someone and something you love. I agree with ideas that Nozick has explained concerning the definition of love, but individuals have their meaning of love. Every individual has a remarkable thing that will bring happiness and contentment in their lives. While sometimes it is hard to practice unconditional love, couples should love unconditionally because it is a true love that is more than infatuation and overcomes minor character flaw.
Around the GCU campus, marriage and engagement is in the air. Men and women who have been together from a few months to a few years have made the decision to commit to each other for the rest of their life. In the Bible, there are four different Greek words that mean love: agape (Godly), eros (erotic), storge (family), and philia (friendship). In social psychology, there are three main types of love that combine to form different types of love. In Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, there are three main types of love: liking (intimacy alone), empty love (commitment alone), and infatuation (passion alone) (Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2013). When intimacy, commitment, and passion are combined, an experience known as consummate
The song “Where’s the Love?” by Black Eyed Peas displays many sociological concept in the context of its lyrics. In this song the band is expressing their concerns with the world’s views and actions of the present day. They question the mentality and reflect upon the realism of the world. The main idea surrounding this song is concentrated around the social construction of reality and how the world is changing. The song expresses the way people are not living up to society’s norms and values. It suggests that various agents of socialization are at fault and that they contribute to the development of self.
Theories in sociology sometime provide us with the different perspectives with which to view our social...
Sociologists employ three major theoretical perspectives in sociology today. They are the structural-functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionism. The structural-functionalist perspective is done at a macro level and its focus is on the relationships between the parts of society. The Conflict perspective is done at a macro level and its main focus is on how the wealthy controls the poor and weak. Symbolic Interactionism is done at a micro and it focuses on the use of symbols and face to face interactions.
Sociologists look at society from either a macro or micro view and the theories that define their work are based on those perspectives. There are several family theories that we learned about this semester. Briefly, Structural-Functionalism and Conflict Theory are “macro” theories in sociology. Structural-Functionalism sees society as a living machine made up of different parts which work together for the good of society. Individuals, as well as Institutions work together, and the family is the key to the well-functioning machine. Emile Durkheim, considered the Father of Sociology argues social solidarity, where people do the right thing, create harmony and have shared values. According to Durkheim the nuclear family is the only type of institution that can achieve that. Conflict Theory sees society as a pyramid with those at the top having more power and influence than those at the bottom. Males in society have more power than females. There is a power imbalance, which could lead to oppression o...
Functionalists emphasise the harmonious nature of the nuclear family, believing it provides a more stable environment for the family and its individual members but also for society as a whole. It draws attention to the positive aspects of family life, fitting in with many people’s experience and expectation of the family as somewhere they are safe and cared for. Functionalists see the father taking an instrumental role, supporting the family by earning a wage with the mother taking the expressive role, caring, nurturing and taking main responsibility for the home and childcare. New Right agrees segregated conjugal roles are human nature and are reinforced by society’s norms and values.
Then there was the woman’s movement and women felt they deserved equal rights and should be considered man’s equal and not inferior. The man going out to work, and the wife staying home to care for the home and the children would soon become less the norm. This movement would go on to shape the changes within the nuclear family. Women deci...