1. Violence Potential in Extramarital Sexual Responses.
- Author
-
Whitehurst, Robert N.
- Subjects
DIVORCE ,ADULTERY ,INTERPERSONAL attraction ,INDIVIDUALISM ,MARRIAGE ,SOCIAL sciences ,SOCIALIZATION ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
As divorce rates continue to climb in North America, we find no emergent normative setting to help alleviate extramarital sexual problems within the marital relationship. Although we are faced with increased opportunity to participate in extramarital sexuality, we are still confronted with old and often dysfunctional normative settings to accommodate problems which arise in extramarital sexual expression. A survey of three dare sources, courtroom cases, survey data, and clinical cases, suggests that in general males are heavily socialized in instrumental and aggressive ways. Violence in family conflict seems to be more usual than commonly thought to be the case, in part due to male socialization, heavy individualism, and female passive-aggressive input. Data from court cases and survey data suggest strong male norms of aggressiveness as culturally appropriate, inhibiting good male-female relations at many levels. Those seeking alternatives to conventional marriage enjoin the struggle in the hope of establishing more rational modes of heterosexual interaction: their struggles are often confounded by past socialization, intrusion of sex-seekers, and ambiguity and difficulty with structuring new norms. Means to achieve more rational adaptations are discussed and include recognition of where we are and use of social science knowledge to further humanistic possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1971
- Full Text
- View/download PDF