The Management and Production of Risk in Romantic Relationships

A Postmodern Paradox

Bibliographic Data

ID6079371
AuthorsRichard Bulcroft (School of Family and Nutritional Sciences the University of British Columbia.), Kris Bulcroft (Department of Sociology; Western Washington University.), Karen Bradley (0000-0002-9855-4014, Department of Sociology Western Washington University.), Carl Simpson (0000-0003-0719-4437, Department of Sociology; Social Research Center Western Washington University.), C L Simpson (Western Washington University)
Year2000
Volume25
Issue1
Pages63-92
Publication date2000-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Family History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0363-1990 • E-ISSN: 1552-5473
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/036319900002500105
PMID19526658
OpenAlexW2160496938
LanguageEN
Citations received16

Expanding on the work of Ulrich Beck and other social theorists, the central thesis of this article is that individuals in contemporary North American society are increasingly motivated by the need to alleviate expanding levels of perceived risks associated with interpersonal love relationships and mate selection. In response to these perceived risks, men and women today are altering their relationship patterns in such a way that the process of relationship formation and assessment has become increasingly rationalized. As a result, a paradox has been created between the rational management of interpersonal risk associated with romance and the production of risk. This article is primarily a theoretical treatment of the issues, augmented with data on the social history of adolescence, courtship, and marriage and a review of the literature on mate selection processes in contemporary society

Courtship · Epistemology · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal relationship · Postmodernism · Psychoanalysis · Romance · Sociology · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

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