Estranged Wife, Other Man’s Beloved

Abstract

Amid societal constraints, difficult repercussions, and double-standard morality on sexuality that favors the male members of their society, eight Filipino women engaged in extramarital affairs. To answer the question "Why did they commit and endure the affair?" a phenomenological life-world approach explored their perspectives regarding the triggering and perpetuating factors of their extramarital relationships (EMR). The analysis revealed their standpoints that negatively perceived marital relationship quality, paternal neglect of children, increasing opportunities for EMR, that is, workplace and mobile technology, and positively perceived extramarital-alternative familial relationship quality emerged as the women's reasons behind the decision to engage and endure in the affair.