Gender norms and young intimate relationship roles

Abstract

Chapter 3 focuses on exploring the impact of gendered social norms of relationship roles, in particular, the power dynamics during each stage of the progression of young intimate relationships. The sense of the gendered social construction of intimate relationships will be explored, basically, the norm or cultural feature of courtship, discussing the perceived benefits and comfort gained from accepting established gendered scripts, rather than suffering the consequences of non-conformity. Young women lack the power to operationalise their egalitarian attitudes in order to engage in relationships that adhere to the description of what they expect, want or desire within a ‘healthy relationship’. They demonstrate how they carefully managed their ‘performance of self’ and the management of their own identity. It will be argued that barriers preventing the operationalisation of their attitudes, beliefs, wishes and feelings reinforce gender differences, providing unstable grounding for a change towards ‘real’ gender equality. Young women perform what they see as the expected girlfriend role to meet their boyfriends’ demands, to the detriment of their own self-development of identity.