I interviewed Ann (pseudonym), who is a middle-aged woman who is a mother of three and has always been a happy, loving, and positive human being. However when I knew that I was going to interview her, I instantly knew that I was going to focus on the topic of how extramarital affairs (emotional and or sexual relationship a spouse has outside of their relationship) and divorce affects middle aged women. I chose this topic as the effects it has on a woman can be life-changing and can result in them becoming an entirely different person, and in the case of Ann it couldn’t be any more apparent. It is important to acknowledge that a divorce and the effect that it has is one subject matter, but a divorce caused by extramarital affairs is an entirely separate issue as it can have damaging short term effects, long term effects, and financial consequences. While divorce is not a primary process of aging, it is a secondary process that affects a large amount of women as they age in life. Understanding the basics of extramarital affairs such as the prevalence of them, who participates in them, and why they participate in them is the first step in understanding the effect they can have. There isn’t a known culture that accepts extramarital affairs (Jankowiak, Nell, and Buckmaster, 2002). Eric Widmer, Judith Treas, and Robert Newcomb (1998) published an article concerning attitudes on premarital sex, teenage sex, homosexual sex, and extramarital sex in 24 different countries. Their research consisted of surveying over 33,000 people. Their findings were very interested as while premarital sex gathered the strongest acceptance and homosexual sex gathered the most varied responses; it was extramarital sex that countries agreed on the mo... ... middle of paper ... ...2002. "Managing infidelity: a cross- cultural perspective." International Journal of Psychoanalysis volume 87 (issue 2): (Retrieved from Questia on February 26, 2010.) Lauer, Robert and Jeanette Lauer. 2009. Marriage & Family: The Quest for Intimacy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Wiederman, Michael. 1997. "Extramarital Sex: Prevalence and correlates in a National Survey." Journal of Sex Research volume 34 (issue 2) 167-174. (Retrieved from EBSCOhost on February 26, 2010.) Widmer, Eric, Judith Treas, and Robert Newcomb. 1998. "Attitudes Towards Nonmarital Sex in 24 Countries." Journal of Sex Research volume 35 (issue 4): 349-358. (Retrieved from EBSCOhost on February 26, 2010.) “5% of Americans Addicted to Sex.” 2008. Times of India. Retrieved February 26, 2010 (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/5_Americans_addicted_to_sex/articleshow/3820228.cms).
...s Processes For Psychoanalytic Theory.” Psychoanalytic Review 100.6 (2013: 881-917. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 April 2014.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Brave New World Theme of Sex" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008.
A man has been married to his wife for seven years. The couple has two beautiful children, a fabulous home, and appear to have the perfect marriage. After the husband leaves work one afternoon, he decides to stop in at the local bar. The man sits at a table in the corner of the room. Not long after his arrival, a woman approaches him. She asks the man if she can join him at his table. The two seem to have quite a bit in common and enjoy each other’s company. The woman asks if he would like to go back to her apartment. He has not had a fight with his wife today. In fact, she surprised him with a love note in his briefcase. Their sex life is enjoyable, frequent, and without complaint. The couple is not currently having financial problems. Despite this, why did the man decide to leave with a stranger and cheat on his wife? A great deal of research has been carried out on the topic of infidelity. Marital therapists have reported that more than half of the couples they counsel are in therapy as a result of infidelity (Atkins, Jacobson citation). Therapists also consider an extramarital affair as, “one of the most damaging relationship events and one of the most difficult problems to treat in couples therapy” (whisman predicting sexual infidelity…). Some therapists estimate that 50% to 65% of couples seek help after an incident of infidelity in their relationship (Atkins, Jacobson & Baucom). Identifying the reasons for this problem are essential to the success of its reduction. Infidelity is not a new phenomenon. However, there was little research on the topic until the late 1970’s (Drigotas & Barta, 2001). Numerous factors have been examined while trying to determine the root cause for extramarital relationships a...
Monogamy is a cultural norm that dominates many modern societies, and when individuals engage in monogamous relationships, they are unconsciously conforming to historical and cultural legacies of what is perceived as love that predate their illusions of personal agency. Although anthropological records indicate that 85% of human societies have tended towards polygamy (Henrich, Boyd and Richerson 2012), the modern culture of monogamy has rapidly risen and spread in the past millennium (Senthilingam 2016). This demonstrates how an individual’s conception of a heterosexual relationship as normatively monogamous has been constructed by social forces. In addition, social forces in the form of state legislation also perpetuate and reinforce an individual’s conception of what a romantic relationship should entail. Monogamous heterosexual marriage remains to be the only form of marriage with legal recognition in many countries. An individual’s belief that a romantic relationship should culminate in marriage is hence not formed through independent thought, but rather through what is considered normative by law. Essentially, “marriage is not an instinct but an institution.” (Berger 1963, 88) because it is enabled and promoted by virtue of the law. In addition, many couples believe in
Pasley, Kay. “The Long-Term Effects Of Divorce.” Stepfamilies 16.1 (1996): 11. MAS Ultra – School Edition.Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Wallerstein, J. S., & Lewis, J. M. (2004). The unexpected legacy of divorce: Report of a 25-year study. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 21(3), 353-370.
Johnson, C. (1991). When Sex is the issue. U.S. News & World Report, 111, 34-36.
Lieberman, Lisa D. (2006). “Early Predictors of Sexual Behavior: Implications for Young Adolescents and Their Parents.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Volume 38, Number 2. Copyright 1996-2014, Guttmacher Institute. https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3811206.html
Marriage is a very joyful event in a person’s life. However, unless much can be done in order to redefine the status of what marriage is all about, divorce and other marital problems will continue to arise tremendously. Divorce is tumultuous event in a married couple’s life. It does not only affect the financial status of the household, but rather it also affects the people that comprises the family especially the children. Families are experiencing many problems today, but the role of divorce in this picture has been frequently overlooked because its destructive effects have been subtle, yet insidious. When the divorce rate increased in the 1960s, few would have predicted its dire consequences three decades later. Yet divorce has changed both the structure and the impact of the family. Intimacy, time, effort trust and love is the key to have a peaceful and healthy relationship. Marriage for life is God's ideal, but divorce is a reality in our society.
Sprecher, S. (1989). Premarital sexual standards for different categories of individuals. Journal of Sex Research, 26, 232-248.
Divorce is a plague that is destroying numerous families across the United States of America. Sadly, when husbands and wives divorce, the children are often caught directly in the middle. Throughout the years divorce has been becoming more and more common. In the 1920's it was a rare find to know a person whom had been divorced, today it is a rarity not to know of one who has been, or will be divorced. Divorce has numerous effects on the structures of families, and many devastating effects on the children that must experience it, although sometimes necessary, divorce radically changes the lives of adolescents and adults alike.
“Till death do us part”. That saying has seemed to go without meaning in todays society. In the 1960’s divorce was seen as a failure and an embarrassment for your neighbors to find out, however, times have changed now. Now divorce isn't failure, but a new beginning, a fresh start. Even though divorce seems as a personal trouble it actually is not, it is a public issue affecting America today. “Sociologist Paul Amato estimates that if the United States enjoyed the same level of family stability today as it did in 1960, the nation would have 750,000 fewer children repeating grades, 1.2 million fewer school suspensions, approximately 500,000 fewer acts of teenage delinquency, about 600,000 fewer kids receiving therapy, and approximately 70,000 fewer suicides every year” (Wilcox, 85). What in society has drastically changed the image and meaning of divorce? Divorce rates have increased from the 1960’s due to an agent of socialization and the looking glass self.
The initial study, implemented in 2005, surveyed thirty people, who proclaimed they have “great sex”; the initial finding of these thirty people found six different components of optimal sexuality. With their follow up study,
During the 19th century (early 1920s), the divorce rates increased by every 1000 marriages, 6.6 of them ended in divorce. Until the end of WWII, divorce rates double every five years mainly due to the expectation of what a marriage is and the separation between a soldier and his wife. Separation between a newly married couple can cause distrust due to the distance. Most newly married wives expected the life of happiness and excitement, however, they did not expect to lose their husband to the war nor did they expect the abusive behavior, also known as PTSD, from soldiers coming home from the war, whether it ended or the soldier was honorably discharged due to an injury. In American, divorce rate skyrocketed mainly caused by many reasons, such as boredom, lying, money, overbearing personality, and the ignorance of sex. Even in today’s society, divorce can be cause by all of these reasons. However, after WWI, divorce rates increase to over seventeen percent. Although a married woman was never taught about sex until she wedded, the married woman being ignorance about sex can cause a divorce, blaming the married woman to be at fault. Another reason is seen mostly in wealthy society where a wife gets bored and files for divorce. Boredom is one of the biggest cause for marital failure. Although the married wives file for divorce due to boredom, she will less than likely to be ridiculed by
Sherman, E. (1986). Teenage sex: A special report. Ladies Home Journal 103 (October) : 138,199, 202-206