Bibliographic details and abstracts are available to all. Downloads of full-text dissertations are restricted to University of Portsmouth members who must login. MPhils may be accessed by all.

Abstract

Romantic relationships have been a point of study for years and sociologists have debated and dealt with romantic relationships in numerous ways. Many theorists believe romantic relationships are a form of salvation or a part of religious beliefs. For some love can provide meaning to their everyday mundane lives (Carter, 2013). However, due to developments in Western societies, theorists believe certain aspects have impacted romantic relationships. For example, Beck and Beck-Gernsheim (2002) believe that modern society is now non-religious and individualized. Theorists such as Illouz (1997) argue that this is due to our capitalist culture and love is always based on consumerism and the market such as dating apps and social media.
There have been many investigations into how individuals understand romantic relationships and how modernisation has affected them, but there is not much research on couples who are from different generations may affect their understanding of romantic relationships. Therefore, this dissertation investigates how people specifically heterosexual couples understand romantic relationships differently in different generations and life course stages. The research is designed to examine the generational effects and views on the development and communication of romantic relationships. The research explores how modernisation has changed communication and romantic relationships in contemporary Western societies. The research is underpinned by a qualitative analysis based on primary data captured by interviews with ten couples. It further reflects on the sociological significance of modernisation including social media, dating apps and the long-term effects of Covid-19. Overall, the research presents how different generations and people in different life course stages understand romantic relationships. It became clear that most of the generations understood romantic relationships to be simpler for older generations.

Course: Sociology and Media - BSc (Hons)

Date Deposited: 2024-01-25

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14322.html