Willingness of youth without disabilities to have romantic love and marital relationships with persons with disabilities

Introduction The decline of marriage in the West has been extensively researched over the last three decades (Carmichael and Whittaker; de Vaus; Coontz; Beck-Gernshein). Indeed, it was fears that the institution would be further eroded by the legalisation of same sex unions internationally that provided the impetus for the Australian government to amend the Marriage Act (1961). These amendments in 2004 sought to strengthen marriage by explicitly defining, for the first time, marriage as a legal partnership between one man and one woman. The subsequent heated debates over the discriminatory nature of this definition have been illuminating, particularly in the way they have highlighted the ongoing social significance of marriage, even at a time it is seen to be in decline. Demographic research about partnering practices (Carmichael and Whittaker; Simons; Parker; Penman) indicates that contemporary marriages are more temporary, fragile and uncertain than in previous generations. Modern marriages are now less about a permanent and “inescapable” union between a dominant man and a submissive female for the purposes of authorised sex, legal progeny and financial security, and more about a commitment between two social equals for the mutual exchange of affection and companionship (Croome). Less research is available, however, about how couples themselves reconcile the inherited constructions of romantic love as selfless and unending, with trends that clearly indicate that romantic love is not forever, ideal or exclusive. Civil marriage ceremonies provide one source of data about representations of love. Civil unions constituted almost 70 per cent of all marriages in Australia in 2010, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The civil marriage ceremony has both a legal and symbolic role. It is a legal contract insofar as it prescribes a legal arrangement with certain rights and responsibilities between two consenting adults and outlines an expectation that marriage is voluntarily entered into for life. The ceremony is also a public ritual that requires couples to take what are usually private feelings for each other and turn them into a public performance as a way of legitimating their relationship. Consistent with the conventions of performance, couples generally customise the rest of the ceremony by telling the story of their courtship, and in so doing they often draw upon the language and imagery of the Western Romantic tradition to convey the personal meaning and social significance of their decision. This paper explores how couples construct the idea of love in their relationship, first by examining the western history of romantic love and then by looking at how this discourse is invoked by Australians in the course of developing civil marriage ceremonies in collaboration with the author. A History of Romantic Love There are many definitions of romantic love, but all share similar elements including an intense emotional and physical attraction, an idealisation of each other, and a desire for an enduring and unending commitment that can overcome all obstacles (Gottschall and Nordlund; Janowiak and Fischer). Romantic love has historically been associated with heightened passions and intense almost irrational or adolescent feelings. Charles Lindholm’s list of clichés that accompany the idea of romantic love include: “love is blind, love overwhelms, a life without love is not worth living, marriage should be for love alone and anything less is worthless and a sham” (5). These elements, which invoke love as sacred, unending and unique, perpetuate past cultural associations of the term. Romantic love was first documented in Ancient Rome where intense feelings were seen as highly suspect and a threat to the stability of the family, which was the primary economic, social and political unit. Roman historian Plutarch viewed romantic love based upon strong personal attraction as disruptive to the family, and he expressed a fear that romantic love would become the norm for Romans (Lantz 352). During the Middle Ages romantic love emerged as courtly love and, once again, the conventions that shaped its expression grew out of an effort to control excessive emotions and sublimate sexual desire, which were seen as threats to social stability. Courtly love, according to Marilyn Yalom, was seen as an “irresistible and inexhaustible passion; a fatal love that overcomes suffering and even death” (66). Feudal social structures had grounded marriage in property, while the Catholic Church had declared marriage a sacrament and a ceremony through which God’s grace could be obtained. In this context courtly love emerged as a way of dealing with the conflict between the individual and family choices over the martial partner. Courtly love is about a pure ideal of love in which the knight serves his unattainable lady, and, by carrying out feats in her honour, reaches spiritual perfection. The focus on the aesthetic ideal was a way to fulfil male and female emotional needs outside of marriage, while avoiding adultery. Romantic love re-appeared again in the mid-eighteenth century, but this time it was associated with marriage. Intellectuals and writers led the trend normalising romantic love in marriage as a reaction to the Enlightenment’s valorisation of reason, science and materialism over emotion. Romantics objected to the pragmatism and functionality induced by industrialisation, which they felt destroyed the idea of the mysterious and transcendental nature of love, which could operate as a form of secular salvation. Love could not be bought or sold, argued the Romantics, “it is mysterious, true and deep, spontaneous and compelling” (Lindholm 5). Romantic love also emerged as an expression of the personal autonomy and individualisation that accompanied the rise of industrial society. As Lanz suggests, romantic love was part of the critical reflexivity of the Enlightenment and a growing belief that individuals could find self actualisation through the expression and expansion of their “emotional and intellectual capacities in union with another” (354). Thus it was romantic love, which privileges the feelings and wishes of an individual in mate selection, that came to be seen as a bid for freedom by the offspring of the growing middle classes coerced into marriage for financial or property reasons. Throughout the 19th century romantic love was seen as a solution to the dehumanising forces of industrialisation and urbanisation. The growth of the competitive workplace—which required men to operate in a restrained and rational manner—saw an increase in the search for emotional support and intimacy within the domestic domain. It has been argued that “love was the central preoccupation of middle class men from the 1830s until the end of the 19th century” (Stearns and Knapp 771). However, the idealisation of the aesthetic and purity of love impacted marriage relations by casting the wife as pure and marital sex as a duty. As a result, husbands pursued sexual and romantic relationships outside marriage. It should be noted that even though love became cemented as the basis for marriage in the 19th century, romantic love was still viewed suspiciously by religious groups who saw strong affection between couples as an erosion of the fundamental role of the husband in disciplining his wife. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries romantic love was further impacted by urbanisation and migration, which undermined the emotional support provided by extended families. According to Stephanie Coontz, it was the growing independence and mobility of couples that saw romantic love in marriage consolidated as the place in which an individual’s emotional and social needs could be fully satisfied. Coontz says that the idea that women could only be fulfilled through marriage, and that men needed women to organise their social life, reached its heights in the 1950s (25-30). Changes occurred to the structure of marriage in the 1960s when control over fertility meant that sex was available outside of marriage. Education, equality and feminism also saw women reject marriage as their only option for fulfilment. Changes to Family Law Acts in western jurisdictions in the 1970s provided for no-fault divorce, and as divorce lost its stigma it became acceptable for women to leave failing marriages. These social shifts removed institutional controls on marriage and uncoupled the original sexual, emotional and financial benefits packaged into marriage. The resulting individualisation of personal lifestyle choices for men and women disrupted romantic conventions, and according to James Dowd romantic love came to be seen as an “investment” in the “future” that must be “approached carefully and rationally” (552). It therefore became increasingly difficult to sustain the idea of love as a powerful, mysterious and divine force beyond reason. Methodology In seeking to understand how contemporary partnering practices are reconstituting romantic love, I draw upon anecdotal data gathered over a nine-year period from my experiences as a marriage celebrant. In the course of personalising marriage ceremonies, I pose a series of questions designed to assist couples to explain the significance of their relationship. I generally ask brides and grooms why they love their fiancé, why they want to legalise their relationship, what they most treasure about their partner, and how their lives have been changed by their relationship. These questions help couples to reflexively interrogate their own relationship, and by talking about their commitment in concrete terms, they produce the images and descriptions that can be used to describe for guests the internal motivations and sentiments that have led to their decision to marry. I have had couples, when prompted to explain how they know the other person loves them say, in effect: “I know that he loves me because he bri

Background: Globally, youths are more sexually active compared to other age groups of the population. Several studies showed premarital sexual intercourse appears all regions around the world. The objective of this study was to access characteristics and factors affecting actual and intended contraceptive utilization in premarital sexual relationship among unmarried youths in rural Yangon, Myanmar.
 
 Methods: A quantitative cross sectional descriptive study was done with 270 unmarried youths with the age of 15-24 who are residing in a rural township of Yangon region. Data was collected by using combined interviewer-administered questionnaire and self-administered questionnaire between September and October 2017. Self-administered questionnaire was prepared for sensitive questions on sexual experiences.
 
 Result: The finding showed 44% of sexually active unmarried youths used at least one modern contraceptive method in their latest sexual intercourse. Always use at least one modern contraceptive method was found only in 17.6% of sexually active unmarried youths. 44.8% of unmarried youths intended to use only modern contraceptive method while 8.1% intended to use both modern and traditional contraceptive methods in the future. The final model of multiple logistic regression revealed that there was no association between any independent variables and actual use of contraception in the latest sexual intercourse and always use in the life-time. Intended use of contraception in the future showed significant positive associations with age group of respondents (p value<0.001), sex (female, p value=0.044), having own income (p value=0.013), level of attitude (p value=0.034), level of belief (p value=0.002), ever heard about contraception (p? value= 0.003), easy availability of contraception when needed (p value< 0.001), same gender service provider (p value= 0.003) and experience on sexual intercourse (p value< 0.001)in the final model of regression.
 
 Conclusion: Low prevalence of contraceptive utilization, and low level of knowledge about contraception especially for emergency contraceptive pill and IUD were found among unmarried rural youths. Delivering more information about contraceptive methods through comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education in middle and high schools, Facebook, mobile application and edutainment program in TV channels should be implemented. Furthermore, unbiased and respectful care should be provided to both married and unmarried youths who seek reproductive health care or contraceptive service at the public or private or NGO clinic. Youth information centers or youth-friendly clinic should also be provided for youths who live in rural areas of Yangon region.?

The influence of attachment styles on romantic love

Divorce which is defined as the dissolution of marriage by judgment of a court or by accepted customs or in other words a judicial decree declaring a marriage to be dissolved has been with mankind for a very long time. In assessing why, a student may be having difficulty, a teacher or a psychologist would, of course, examine the child's academic setting and intellectual potential. However, it is also essential to take the students family situation into account since family problems can have an impact on classroom performance. Divorce is one of several types of family problems. Marital conflicts may involve ongoing strife between parents or may extend to separation or divorce. The disruption coursed by such fighting and family dissolution may affect a student school performance for several reasons. The main reason why people get married is to satisfy one’s personal and psychological needs as those found in romantic love. In Walewale town and its environs, the inability to fulfill these needs results in the dissolution of marriage. In general, infidelity was discovered to be the main cause of divorce in the community under study. However, its negative effects on children of such parents have eaten so deep into the fabric of our societies and there is the need for individuals, government and non-governmental organizations to put measures in place in order to stagnate its perpetuation. Article visualizations:

Romantic love, a universal, cross-cultural phenomenon, has been a focus of attention and theme of research for neuroscientists. Romantic love involves a collection of activities associated with the acquisition and retention of emotions. It is also characterized by distinct physiological hormonal changes and psychological behaviours. Technologic advancements in neuroimaging have led to the identification of specific brain areas related to the genesis of love. Recent studies showed that the activated areas during love include cortex, medial insula, ante­rior cingulate, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens. These regions are also parts of the brain reward system, which makes love a reward experience. Some other regions are deactivated during love and these include amyg­dala, frontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, and middle temporal cortex. Deactivation of the amygdala may be relat­ed to reduced fear response and inhibition of xenophobia, whereas deactivation of the frontal cortex may reduce negative emotions and judgement. Interestingly, these deactivations are lateralized to the right side. In terms of neuroanatomy, there are some differences between maternal love and romantic love. The hypothalamus - linked to sexual arousal - is active in romantic love as compared to maternal love. Another neural substrate is the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which seems active during watching photographs of a romantic partner. Apart from neuroimaging studies, investigating hormone profile may provide clues about the brain areas of love. For instance, circulating levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) are increased among subjects in love. NGF affects senso­ry neurons and provides better pain control, which makes it a love painkiller.

Introduction: Family experts always consider paying attention to the factors that affecting marriage as the most important choice in one's life. Aim: The aim of present study was to predict marriage tendency based on interpersonal problems mediated by love attitude in students. Method: The research was fundamental in terms of purpose and in terms of methods was a structural equation modeling. Population included all female students of Sanandaj Universities in the academic year of 2018-2019. 360 female students chosen by quota non-random sampling method. Instruments were Marriage Desire Questionnaire (MDQ), Interpersonal Problems Questionnaire (IIP-32) and Love Attitude Scale (LAS). Data analyzed by mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation test and structural equation modeling using SPSS-25 and AMOS- 24 software. Results: Result showed that The direct path of interpersonal problems (-0.16), romantic love (0.30) and selfless love (0.19) to marriage tendency were significant. Also direct path of interpersonal problems (0.40 and 0.30) to romantic and friendly love, Indirect paths of interpersonal problems were significant (p<0.05). Marriage tendency mediating of romantic (- 0.10) and friendly love (-0.02). The path of friendly love to marriage tendency (0.01) and the direct path of interpersonal problems (-0.04) to sacrificial love and indirect path of interpersonal problems to marriage tendency with mediating sacrificial love (-0.002) were not significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: In whole according to finding Romantic and friendly love able to moderate the damage caused by interpersonal problems and motivates the person to marriage.

Introduction: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education is crucial to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people. However, in Sri Lanka, little is known about the level of access to SRH education and knowledge among unmarried youth. This study aimed to assess perceptions of SRH education at school and the level of knowledge on selected aspects of SRH among unmarried youth aged 15–24 years in Sri Lanka. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1057 unmarried male and female youth aged 15–24 years in three selected districts of Sri Lanka. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was operationalized after receiving informed consent. Twelve focus group discussions were also conducted with the youth. Results: A sizable proportion of youth demonstrated low access to SRH education and a low level of knowledge on pregnancy, contraception, and STIs. Although it is limited, respondents felt that the SRH education received in school is useful for their life. Friends and the Internet were identified as the primary sources of information among boys, whereas the mother was the primary source for the majority of girls. Boys demonstrated better SRH knowledge compared to girls for most of the aspects. SRH knowledge was increased among both boys and girls significantly with maturity. Conclusion: Results conclude that there is a significant knowledge gap on SRH among unmarried youth. Introduction of age-specific and gender-sensitive SRH education is important to address the current gap in SRH knowledge.

Widening the social context of disablement among married older adults: Considering the role of nonmarital relationships for loneliness

In the mid-1960s, college men and women held different views of the importance of romantic love as a necessary precondition to marriage (Kephart, 1967). Women, much more so than men, reported that the absence of romantic love would not necessarily deter them from contracting a marriage. In two investigations, conducted approximately 10 and 20 years after Kephart's survey, we reassessed the role that romantic love assumes in the establishment and maintenance of marital relationships. Our results reveal that (1) a vast majority of both men and women now view romantic love as a necessary prerequisite to establishing a marital relationship; (2) since the mid-1960s, a significantly larger percentage of both men and women now indicate that they would not marry someone unless they were in love with him or her; and (3) romantic love is perceived to play a critical role not only in the establishment of a marital relationship but in its maintenance as well. These findings are discussed in the context of the dramatic social changes that have occurred in American society since the time of Kephart's first survey, many of which have had especially profound effects on the lives of women.

Family and sexual relations is one of the most unique relationships in any society where marriage begins. Marriage has a history as old as humanity as one of the most important foundations ofhuman life is accepted. In this regard, women and men can experience the most complex and deepest feelings that may not be possible in any relationship. This important event at the same time as the easiest and most romantic stage life cycle described. (Carter & Mac Goldrik, 1980; quoting thenazari & Navabinejad, 2006). This allows the couple's marital relationship with each other to discuss and exchange ideas, solve their problems and become aware of the needs. Relationships in family life warm and friendly interpersonal interactions that lead to the growth and development of individuals, including goals and requirements of marriage. However, there is evidence that couples severe and pervasive problems maintaining romantic relationships and intimate experience (Hamidi, 2008). These problems can even lead to family breakdown and divorce. Evidence shows that about half of today's marriages end in divorce. After the divorce, about 65 percent of women and 70 percent of men and 50 percent of people who re-marry for the second time married, divorced again (Young & Long, 2005). Inherent and universal needs such as closeness, love, be loved, sex, devotion, attention to security through the presence of an adult human cell... to find a perfect invitation screw (Harvey, 2005; quoted Hussaini, 2010). Marital relations and intimacy is a key characteristic distinguishing feature is a successful marriage. This feature refers to the interaction between spouses stems. The absence or lack of a marital relationship is in turmoil index (Halford, 2005; translated Tabrizi & Kardani, 2008). The Costa and McCrae (1989) presented five principal areas for the introduction of characters that can have an impact on marital intimacy. They have introduced five big personality factors that are of biological fields, the behavioral differences related to the five-factor genes, brain structure and goes like that. The basic tendencies act and feel in particular preparation is not directly affected by environment. (John, Parvin, translation, Javadi, & Alderman, 2007). Along with marital intimacy and character features can be also named sexual self, sexual self-concept is a dynamic and active structure that is created through perceptions about the quality of sex (Deutsch, Hoffman, Wilcox, & Wilderdom, 2014). The sexual Selfconcept perceptions of their features in a sexual context as well (Aubrey, 2007). It should be noted sexual self-concept developed not only on the sexual experience, but men and women can be a variety of social interactions, such as family, sex education programs, media, friends and peers as well as learn (Wilderdom, 2003).Statistical societyThe study population consists of all married individuals living in northern Tehran in the second quarter of 93 are referred to counseling services.MethodThis research is a descriptive and correlational study isParticipantSampling in this study was multistage cluster sampling. Thus, first of psychology and counseling service centers north of Tehran, 6 centers were randomly selected. Then, between two shifts, morning and evening became the morning shift counseling centers during the four months of married patients were studied as an example. And demographic characteristics of the sample can be seen in the table below.InstrumentEstablishment of an instrument to collect data research is required to answer questions, and explain them. Therefore, in this study due to the nature of the question and its objectives, from 3 Personality Inventory, a questionnaire sexual self-Snell and Walker and Thompson intimacy questionnaire was used. 1: five personality factorMcCrae and kasta (1942) have introduced the Big Five personality: neuroticism, extroversion, empiricism (aperture), agreeableness and conscientiousness (conscientiousness). …

A previous study has found a negative correlation between meeting one's romantic partner in online dating (vs. offline) and marriage quality through a quota sample of the U.S. population. This current study replicates and extends this previous study by analyzing another sample of the U.S. population from the Pew Research Center (N = 2,787). Largely consistent with the previous finding, we found that meeting one's partner in online dating (vs. offline) was marginally related to experiencing less relationship success among people in a marital relationship. However, the difference was not observed among people in a nonmarital romantic relationship. In addition, sharing or discussing one's relationship or dating life (i.e., relationship talks) on social media (RToSM) conditioned the link between meeting venue and relationship success. That is, for marital relationships, meeting in online dating was only linked to less relationship success among people with no RToSM but not among those who had RToSM; for nonmarital relationships, there was a positive link between meeting in online dating and relationship success among those who had RToSM, but this positive link was not observed among those who had no RToSM. We further discuss the implications of our findings on the long-term impact of online dating in marital and nonmarital romantic relationships.

Romantic love has long intrigued scientists in various disciplines. Social-cognitive research has provided ample evidence for overlapping mental representations of self and romantic partner. This overlap between self and romantic partner would contribute to the experience of love and has been found to be a predictor of relationship quality. Self-partner overlap has been mainly documented at the level of conceptual or narrative self, with studies showing confusion between one's own and partner's identity aspects, perspectives, and outcomes. But the self is not restricted to abstract, conceptual representations but also involves body-related representations, which, research has revealed, are linked to social-cognitive processes. In this article, we review the emerging evidence that romantic love involves not only a blurring of conceptual selves but also a reduction of the distinction between self and romantic partner at a bodily level. We discuss the potential function(s) of self-other overlap in romantic relationship at the level of body-related representations and consider possible mechanisms. We conclude with possible future directions to further investigate how romantic love engages embodied self-other representations involved in social interactions.

<p>This thesis considers whether the legal recognition of non-conjugal relationships in New Zealand should be improved; particularly by extending them the rights and responsibilities of marital and marriage-like (conjugal) relationships. For the purpose of this thesis, “non-conjugal” relationships are close, caring platonic relationships where people share their lives to a significant degree. Over the last decade, there has been a trend toward extending the legal consequences of marriage to non-conjugal relationships in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. At the same time, the distinction between conjugal and non-conjugal relationships has been destabilised, due to the de-emphasis of sexual intimacy as a criterion for recognising marriage-like relationships. This thesis considers whether the marriage model should be extended to include certain non-conjugal relationships in New Zealand, as it has been overseas. It is clear that non-conjugal relationships can exhibit many of the features associated with conjugal relationships, as demonstrated by the high profile Burden sisters' case in the United Kingdom. These include characteristics such as long-term cohabitation, caring, commitment and interdependency. However, non-conjugal relationships typically exhibit these features to a lesser degree, which means that they may have different needs and require different support from the state. Ultimately, this thesis recommends against extending the marriage model to non-conjugal relationships for a number of reasons, including that the marriage model does not appear to respond adequately to the needs or living arrangements of people in non-conjugal relationships. However, this thesis also suggests that non-conjugal relationships in New Zealand can benefit from legal recognition in some cases. Aside from human rights considerations, the state has an interest in promoting these relationships due to their contribution to social cohesion and informal caregiving. As such, this thesis recommends a new framework for recognising personal relationships that also allows for nonconjugal relationships in New Zealand to be supported and promoted by the law, where appropriate.</p>

<p>This thesis considers whether the legal recognition of non-conjugal relationships in New Zealand should be improved; particularly by extending them the rights and responsibilities of marital and marriage-like (conjugal) relationships. For the purpose of this thesis, “non-conjugal” relationships are close, caring platonic relationships where people share their lives to a significant degree. Over the last decade, there has been a trend toward extending the legal consequences of marriage to non-conjugal relationships in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. At the same time, the distinction between conjugal and non-conjugal relationships has been destabilised, due to the de-emphasis of sexual intimacy as a criterion for recognising marriage-like relationships. This thesis considers whether the marriage model should be extended to include certain non-conjugal relationships in New Zealand, as it has been overseas. It is clear that non-conjugal relationships can exhibit many of the features associated with conjugal relationships, as demonstrated by the high profile Burden sisters' case in the United Kingdom. These include characteristics such as long-term cohabitation, caring, commitment and interdependency. However, non-conjugal relationships typically exhibit these features to a lesser degree, which means that they may have different needs and require different support from the state. Ultimately, this thesis recommends against extending the marriage model to non-conjugal relationships for a number of reasons, including that the marriage model does not appear to respond adequately to the needs or living arrangements of people in non-conjugal relationships. However, this thesis also suggests that non-conjugal relationships in New Zealand can benefit from legal recognition in some cases. Aside from human rights considerations, the state has an interest in promoting these relationships due to their contribution to social cohesion and informal caregiving. As such, this thesis recommends a new framework for recognising personal relationships that also allows for nonconjugal relationships in New Zealand to be supported and promoted by the law, where appropriate.</p>

The article examines the evolution of romantic love’s role and its social meanings by centering on intermarried Jewish and non-Jewish couples between 1933 and 1959, with a focus on those who immigrated to Israel from Poland in the 1950s. It delves into the dynamics of romantic love and the complications it introduces within a post-traumatic community characterized by diverse nationalities, ethnicities, and religions, which affected both the marital relationship and societal integration. It illuminates the conflict between societal norms and personal emotional autonomy, underscoring romantic love’s paradoxical nature as both a source of support and a challenge.