He is My Refuge

Upward Mobility, Class Dislocation and Romantic Relationships

Bibliographic Data

ID2323482
AuthorsMalik Fercovic (0000-0003-4522-9661, Independent Researcher, Chile, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume58
Issue2
Pages507-526
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0385 • E-ISSN: 1469-8684
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/00380385231189174
OpenAlexW4386223500
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited54

A voluminous sociological literature sheds light on the multiple consequences of upward mobility on individuals' psychological, emotional and relational lives. Much less studied, however, are the relationships, particularly romantic ones, potentially easing the class dislocation often tied to upward mobility. In this article, I draw upon 60 life-history interviews to examine how long-range upwardly mobile individuals relate and develop romantic ties in contemporary Chile. My findings reveal how romantic partners act as key bonds helping to mitigate the dislocating effects accompanying upward mobility, offering a 'refuge' and providing multifaceted support to the upwardly mobile, both in their adjustment to their class destination and when negotiating demands and ties with their class origins. These findings call for a new research agenda in the study of class, social mobility and intimacy

Class (philosophy) · Epistemology · Interpersonal ties · Negotiation · Psychoanalysis · Romance · Social mobility · Social science · Sociology · Gender Studies · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Psychology · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

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