Marital Monogamy as Ideal and Practice: The Detraditionalization Thesis in Contemporary Marriages

Abstract

Within the sociological literature on intimate life, a detraditionalization thesis outlines a marked shift in the construction of marriage in post‐World War II Western societies, suggesting a growing focus on emotional and sexual satisfaction within the marital dyad (Cherlin, 2004; Giddens, 1992). In this article the authors investigated one aspect of marital relations in light of the detraditionalization thesis: marital monogamy. Drawing from 90 in‐depth interviews with both heterosexual and same‐sex married participants in Canada, they found that the detraditionalization thesis appears to capture best the extension of multicultural norms to abstract ideals about marital monogamy, rather than an actual shift in marital sexual practices, particularly among heterosexual respondents. These data call out for greater attention to both the social mediation of Giddens's detraditionalization thesis and a more nuanced concept of marital fidelity than a simple binary axis of “monogamous/nonmonogamous” permits.

Conjugal Love from a Sociological Perspective: Theorizing from Observed Practices.

“…Despite transformations in attitudes regarding conjugal relationships (Treas et al 2014) and the increasing tendency to view sexuality as a physiological need (Genard 2005), fidelity and exclusivity continue to form the two sides of a fundamental meaning rule of contemporary love (Blais et al, 2014, Graber et al, 1999, Previti and Amato 2004, especially for heterosexual couples (Green and Valleriani 2016). While couples often simply equate fidelity with sexual exclusivity, its scope may widen to encompass both moral and sexual loyalty, which form a continuum (Bawin-Legros 2004, Blow and Hartnett 2005, Frank and DeLamater 2010.…”

Copious relationships: transnational marriages and intimacy among Moroccan couples in Italy

“…Yet, the notion of detraditionalized intimacy has also been subjected to extensive critique by various scholars (Cherlin, 2004;Green et al, 2016;Gross, 2005;Jamieson, 1988Jamieson, , 1999. Jamieson (1988) in particular provides an exhaustive discussion of each of the dimensions that allegedly drive the transformation of personal relationship across modernity, dismantling the unproven assumptions and selective use of references underlying such arguments.…”

Revising Premarital Relationship Interventions for the Next Generation

“…And overall, young people do appear to be involved in CNM in greater numbers (Newport & Himelfarb, ). Same‐sex couples report even greater openness to CNM and are more likely to have had open conversations and negotiations about CNM and sexual boundaries (Green, Valleriani, & Adam, ). Heterosexual couples can benefit from similar open dialogues regarding monogamy.…”