Meaning in couples relationships

Abstract

IntroductionThis research project studies the relationship between adult humans, an artificial historical product, which mediates a unique and singular relationship between hu­man adults -- marriage.A case study details a woman's subjective experience of remaining in a pro­longed marriage that has caused continued suffering.A semi-structured interview was used to collect data, and an Analysis of the Nuclei of Meaning for the Apprehension of the Constitution of Sense by Aguiar and Ozella (2006, 2013), segmented and deepened the qualitative material. This method applies a Relational-Historical Psychology theoretical framework, which is a privileged method for apprehending the uniqueness of a human being.Concept of family and marriageHistory has recorded various forms of relationships between humans, which has led to the emergence of new, metamorphosed intimate relationship formats.Engels (2012) notes that historical artifacts are a common inheritance of humanity that provide a perspective on the past and lead towards understanding progress over the course of time. Historical artifacts also demonstrate that phases of development run parallel to the invention of new subsistence and labor instru­ments.The democratization of personal relationships profoundly affected marriage re­lationships (Giddens, 1993). Modern marriages correspond to an epoch of crisis, that is, transformation, because they incorporate historical characteristics based on socioeconomic contracts between families and newer perspectives on relationships. In the modern sentimental marriage, passion is the motivation for an alliance.Marriage now finds its origin and reason in love. Society's development opened new possibilities for expanding consciousness and psychological development. In marriage, the individual and couple's projects are shared, and sex is a permanent indicator that maintains the relationship. Psychological marriage implies that tem­perament and personality are compatible and only accessible if two people are liv­ing together in a marriage. As such, intimacy becomes structured on new values, which no longer include only friendship and love but also sex (Aires, 2007).Meanings in the relationship between couplesLove embodies a conscious choice and provides personal fulfillment. However, the decision-making process is not natural or direct. It is necessary for society to devel­op and address several historical products (such as divorce and marriage for love) for these to become options. One should not conclude that culture provides an answer, but that it can make different choices available. Therefore, society needs to understand different historical products that act as alternatives, to develop a com­petency that implies will.Reality should be made clear for a person may deal with a problem, but it is equally necessary that culture makes alternatives available, thus opening the pos­sibility for choosing one of many ways of life. For example, divorce (as a love mar­riage) is a recent historical product in the progress of mankind. Divorce legalization was a step forward in Portugal, and it is now a less socially condemned option.Language is the gateway for socio-cultural heritage, and it channels an understanding of the present human world. Thus, studying expressed meanings and senses allows us to grasp the human essence. Language is the psychological tool that allows access to consciousness.MethodThe research project -- the interview methodThis qualitative research project used a semi-structured interview that was contextualized as a dialogue. This method demonstrated the socio-historical perspective in qualitative research. Reliability was obtained through associative exchanges and interactions. Therefore, in the interview, consistency was the discourse experience between the interviewee and the researcher (Bakthin, 1992).In the interview, the subject expresses oneself, but what he articulates reflects the culture in which he is immersed, revealing his socio-historical reality. …