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Chapter 3: Connection, Community, Love, and Partnering

  • Page ID
    326544
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    Learning Objectives

    1. Using a theory, describe the need for connection through community and intimate relationships.
    2. Explain the relationships between family, social support, and kinship groups.
    3. Explain the differences between sex, gender, and sexuality.
    4. Discuss the ways that changes in gender and sexuality affect intimate and family relationships.
    5. Describe the interpersonal and societal factors that influence union formations.
    6. Describe the most likely contributing factors to the increase in divorce from the 1960s forward.
    7. Analyze union formations and dissolutions from an equity perspective.
    8. Apply theoretical concepts related to choosing a partner(s) to your own observations and experiences.
    • 3.1: Chapter Reading Guide
      This page discusses the importance of intimate relationships and community ties, highlighting their lasting impact. It examines love theories, romantic dynamics, and changes in marriage, alongside sociological views on family and support systems. Key distinctions between sex, gender, and sexuality are addressed, along with societal influences on relationships and divorces since the 1960s.
    • 3.2: Introduction to Connection, Love, and Community
      This page highlights the importance of emotional and social connections in family life, contrasting Western individualism with Eastern collectivism. It discusses social support systems and community roles in personal well-being, referencing theories like Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.
    • 3.3: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
      This page examines the complex interplay of sex, gender, and sexuality in family life, emphasizing their social construction and the evolution of societal perceptions. It contrasts biological sex with gender as a social expression and highlights nonbinary identities, including experiences of transgender and intersex individuals.
    • 3.4: Love and Union Formation
      This page delves into the complexities of close relationships, covering emotional benefits and health implications, particularly in illness recovery. It outlines love theories, partner selection factors, and the influence of economic and social changes on relationship dynamics. Assortative mating and the evolution from survival-based unions to love-based partnerships are discussed.
    • 3.5: A Word about Marriage
      This page examines marriage as a socially constructed institution in the U.S., detailing its evolution through three forms: institutional, companionate, and individualized marriage. It addresses how economic and social changes have shaped these ideals while also recognizing the exclusion of same-sex and polygamous unions.
    • 3.6: Societal and Personal Influences on Union Formations
      This page examines the influence of individual and institutional definitions of "family" on rights and benefits, with a focus on family law and the Obergefell v. Hodges decision about same-sex marriage. It discusses societal stigma affecting family structures and challenges in intimacy during events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The page includes real-world examples and research from the Gottman Institute to assess factors contributing to relationship health and success.
    • 3.7: Union Dissolution and Divorce
      This page examines the fluctuating U.S. divorce rate, notably rising during economic and social shifts, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. It discusses contributing factors like changing marriage expectations and women's independence, alongside the complex effects of divorce on families, especially regarding poverty and well-being. Children of divorced families face heightened risks of emotional and economic difficulties.
    • 3.8: Looking Ahead- Kinship and Health
      This page discusses familial roles as encompassing relationships beyond legal definitions, including friendships and caregiving. It highlights how these interactions, influenced by socioeconomic factors and early attachments, contribute to societal disparities. The authors, Nyssa Cronin and Elizabeth B. Pearce, emphasize the health benefits of kinship and partnerships, pointing out that shared experiences foster joy and empathy.
    • 3.9: Going Deeper
      This page offers additional resources on love and community, featuring non-chapter materials, reflective questions for applying concepts, and key terms about family structures and marriage theories. Critical thinking discussion prompts address marriage and societal influences, aiming to enhance understanding and support research on related topics.


    This page titled Chapter 3: Connection, Community, Love, and Partnering is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Elizabeth B. Pearce (OpenOregon) .