Abstract
Romantic relationships in workplaces have remained unexplored from the lovers’ perspective even though the research on love, partner selection, and workplace romances is relatively extensive. The purpose of this study is to contribute an analysis of partner selection among colleagues, and student teachers were selected as an interesting target group because of the special nature of teachers’ work. Two research questions were set for the study: how do teacher-couples start their relationship and what factors explain partner selection among them according to student teachers’ perceptions and experiences? The purpose was to describe their opinions on why teacher-marriages are so common, how love begins, and what combines teachers. The data were collected in the form of essays through an email that was addressed to the members of Finnish student organizations in colleges of education. Altogether 32 replies were received. The essays were analyzed with a theory-based approach by categorizing answers into six pre-determined categories. The purpose was to find out how partner selection among teachers corresponded to the select types of partner selection. Homogamy and completion-based partner selection appeared the most common. In addition, teachers’ role as emotional educators is pointed out and discussed in the light of the results of this study.
Highlights
Love can be defined in numerous ways
The purpose of this study is to contribute an analysis of partner selection among colleagues, and student teachers were selected as an interesting target group because of the special nature of teachers’ work
Two research questions were set for the study: how do teacher-couples start their relationship and what factors explain partner selection among them according to student teachers’ perceptions and experiences? The purpose was to describe their opinions on why teacher-marriages are so common, how love begins, and what combines teachers
Summary
Love can be defined in numerous ways. According to Määttä and Uusiautti (2013), it is possible to distinguish romantic love, friendship, love for fellow humans, mother’s and father’s love, love for one’s country, and pedagogical love from each other. Love as emotion and action creates hope and boldness (see, e.g., Määttä, 2010). Romantic love forms only one, but perhaps the most studied element of love. Partner selection and the arousal of love have interested researchers across the world (e.g., Hatfield, Benson, & Rapson, 2012). Love has been a popular research theme already for decades. Various theories of love have been introduced to describe the emergence and process of love: Tzeng (1992) created an octagon model, Shirley (1982) a vector model, Kerckhoff and Davis (1962) introduced a filter theory, Levinger (1983) an ABCDE model, and Walster, Walster, and Bercheid (1978) balance, exchange, and equilibrium theories – just to name few
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