A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Community-Based Counselling Psychology, June 2017 / The purpose of the study was to speak to the dynamics involved in the construction of extramarital affairs in South African news media. At the core of the study was the need to understand and deconstruct the discourses that trail behind the emergence and chaos that follows a publicised marital affair. In this process, the investigation was based on the critical analysis of newspaper articles and their portrayal of the man, the wife and the mistress in light of an extra-marital affair. The design of the study was qualitative and used thematic discourse analysis to comb through the narratives and the style of reporting so as to draw out what was both said and left unsaid concerning the marital affair. Major findings in this study showed an unchanged perception of the mistress and the wife as history carries the mistress as an object for the pleasure of the man, whilst the wife is to ensure that the dignity and purity of her marriage remains untainted. Additionally, the study also showed the pardon of men and the rendering of their masculinity as fragile. The affair is seemingly a result of a seductress who uses her sexual prowess to lure a sexually vulnerable man. From this, it can be concluded that men hold sexual privilege over women and indeed in the reporting of the affair, it takes a gendered tone in favour of the man- normalising their response and reactions, whilst crucifying the mistress for contributing to the disintegration of the marriage. The wife gains sympathy from the social audience which gives her a renewed strength to fight for her marriage. / XL2018

Thesis (M. A. (English Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / The purpose of this research was to analyse and investigate the dilemmas of women in relationships in the literary text Love Interrupted by Reneilwe Malatji published in 2012, using the feminist framework. The study explores how women are negatively affected by their relationships with their partners/husbands. Furthermore, the study focuses on how they are disadvantaged by cultural and societal expectations and how difficult it is for them to live with their in-laws. The primary text, Love Interrupted, is analysed to answer the three research questions that this study raises. The three research questions are: (1) Does the influence of culture and society affect the women in the short stories? (2) Do the perceptions that extended family members have of women undermine and diminish their sense of self-worth in the short stories? (3) In what ways are the children in the short stories used by the women in adulterous and abusive relationships? Because the short stories are written by a woman writer, the anthology gives first-hand experience on the dilemmas that the women in the short stories find themselves in as far as relationships, cultural and societal expectations are concerned. This study employed a qualitative framework which applied critical content analysis in interpreting the short stories. The analysis focused on four short stories in the anthology: “Love Interrupted”, “The Things We Do for Love”, “Lebo’s story 1: A Young Girl’s Dream Interrupted” and “My Perfect Husband” set in the Bapedi culture of the Limpopo province The findings of the study are that women, especially those in the rural areas of South Africa, are expected to be submissive and subordinate to their spouses. As a result of this, cultural and societal expectations have disadvantaged them greatly. They find excuses to put up with their abusive and adulterous husbands in the name of raising their children with the male figure around, and mostly they stay in these relationships in order to earn respect from community members. The study also found other reasons why women in the short stories are forced to stay in the abusive and adulterous relationships with their spouses: financial instability, stigmatization of unmarried and divorced women, and cultural and societal expectations to be strong women. This study employed feminist theory in the analysis of the dilemmas of the women in the selected short stories. Feminist theory provided a lens through which to understand the women’s dilemmas. Through feminist theory, it becomes apparent that the women are subjected to male dominance and societal expectations which prescribe submissive roles for women. Thus, they are not in a position to question or challenge the cultural practices which denigrate them. Their opinion in matters is never sought; they are simply expected to comply with the interests of men. The feminist analysis of the short stories suggests that there is still a great need to continue the fight against gender inequality in South Africa.

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Digitized using a Konica Minolta 211 PCL Scanner. 300dpi (OCR). / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Intimate heterosexual relationships play a vital role in shaping the lives of many people, and have therefore become an important topic of research within psychology. The South African population is also currently faced with many prevalent psychosocial problems, such as HIV/Aids, rape, violence against women and divorce, which need to be contextualised within the context of intimate heterosexual relationships. Research on intimate heterosexual relationships has therefore become a priority. In order to determine directions and priorities for such research, the objective of this assignment was to provide a review of selected international and South African research on intimate heterosexual relationships. This review focused on: the definition and operationalisation of intimate heterosexual relationships; the salient theoretical frameworks used; the characteristics of participants; as well as the methodologies employed by relationship researchers. The review highlighted the following: A variety of terms is used by relationship researchers to conceptualise intimate heterosexual relationships which makes it difficult to integrate intimate heterosexual relationship research. Although theoretical frameworks like the social learning theory, cognitive behavioural theory and some metatheoretical perspectives such as postmodernism, feminism and social constructivism are utiiised, South African relationship researchers mostly have an atheoretical approach to research. A review of the research participants revealed that most participants in South African relationship studies are married adults. While the male-female ratio of the participants was balanced, the diversity of the South African population was not well represented in these studies. Researchers mostly used qualitative research strategies and employed the survey method of data gathering. Based on these findings, it was recommended that relationship researchers should recognise the need to clarify the relationship concepts used in their studies; attempt to incorporate better-known relationship theories; ensure that the South African population is well represented; and to combine qualitative research strategies with quantitative research strategies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMINGE: Intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings speel 'n deurslaggewende rol in die vorming van baie mense se lewens en het daarom 'n belangrike navorsingsonderwerp in sielkunde geword. Die SuidAfrikaanse populasie staar tans verskeie psigososiaie probleme so os MIVNigs, verkragting, geweld teen vrou en egskeiding in die gesig, wat almal binne die konteks van intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings gekonseptualiseer behoort te word. Navorsing oor intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings het daarom 'n prioriteit geword. Ten einde rigtings en prioriteite vir sulke navorsing te bepaal, was die doel van hierdie werksopdrag om 'n oorsig te voorsien van selektiewe internasionale en Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings. Hierdie oorsig het gefokus op: die definisie en operasionalisering van intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings; die prominente teoretiese raamwerke wat gebruik is; die karaktereienskappe van die deelnemers; so wei as die metodologiee wat deur verhoudingsnavorsers gebruik is. Die oorsig het die volgende duidelik gemaak: 'n Verskeidenheid van terme word deur verhoudingsnavorsers gebruik om intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings te konseptualiseer en die die integrasie van intieme heteroseksuele verhoudingsnavorsing word daardeur bemoeilik. Alhoewel teoretiese raamwerke soos die sosiale leerteorie, kognitiewe gedragsteorie en sekere metateoretiese perspektiewe soos postmodernisme, feminisme en sosiale konstruktivisme gebruik word, het Suid-Afrikaanse verhoudingsnavorsers grotendeels 'n ateoretiese benadering tot navorsing. 'n Oorsig van die deelnemers van die studies het getoon dat die meeste deelnemers in Suid-Afrikaanse verhoudingstudies getroude volwassenes is. Terwyle die manvrou ratio van die deelnemers gebalanseerd was, is die diversiteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse populasie nie goed verteenwoordig in die studies nie. Navorsers gebruik meestal kwalitatiewe navorsingstrategiee en gebruik grotendeels die opame-metode van dataherwinning. Op grond van hierdie bevindinge, is daar aanbeveel dat verhoudingsnavorsers die behoefte aan die verheldering van verhoudingskonsepte in hulle studies moet herken; moet poog om meer bekende verhoudingsteoriee te inkorporeer; te verseker dat die Suid-Afrikaanse populasie goed verteenwoordig is; en kwalitatiewe navorsingsstrategiee met kwantitatiewe navorsingstrategiee moet kombineer.

The purpose of this study was to explore how supportive functions of parent-child relationships influence young adult dating motivations and involvement. Theoretical literature suggests that emotionally supportive homes provide a secure base for children to depend on as they explore themselves and other relationships. However, problematic family ties could be expected to inhibit relationship involvement due to negative past experiences or to encourage involvement as a search for intimacy. A sample of 206 single, female undergraduates completed questionnaires assessing relationships with parents and aspects of romantic involvement and development. The set of Parent-Child Relationship variables included Support, Conflict, Depth, and Affective Quality in relationships with mother and father. The Attachment Related Dating Motivation variables included measures of Anxiety, Dependency, and Closeness in relationships, Attachment Motivation, Sexual Expression, Dating Exploration, Behavioral Indicators of Romantic Involvement, Sexual Involvement, and Level, Satisfaction, and Importance of Romantic Involvement.

This poetic thesis is an exploration of the darker side of relationships. There are two parts of this thesis and they are to be read independently of each other. Part one is concerned with the chaotic relationship structure between lovers, husbands and wives, and the unexpected anguish that results from living an inauthentic life. Part two of my thesis is a rumination of a past close friendship and the tragic death of that friend. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

In addition to the reproductive benefits associated with outcompeting sexual rivals and being seen as an attractive mating prospect by women, research suggests that competition adaptively regulates men's sexual interest and behavior in preparation for mating opportunities following competitive outcomes, with victory leading to an increase in sexual interest and loss leading to a decrease in sexual interest. One hundred fifteen undergraduate men engaged in a contrived competitive task in which a third were led to believe that they won, a third were led to believe that they lost, and a third were led to believe that they neither won nor lost. Participants completed the Rape Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (RABS), which was used to test whether the effects of competition extend to men's proneness to sexual aggression. In addition, the current study attempted to replicate Gorelik and Bjorklund's (2015) finding that only single men's sexual interest is affected by competition. Results did not reveal an effect of competition on men's rape proclivity, although there were effects in the predicted direction on two of the RABS items. Gorelik and Bjorklund's (2015) effect of competition on men's sexual interest was not replicated. Limitations, implications for the understanding of the biology of sexual aggression, and directions for future research are discussed. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Evolutionary psychology offers a framework for investigating the design of evolved information-processing mechanisms that motivate costly behaviors such as men's partner-directed violence. The current research investigated predictors of and individual differences in men's intimate- partner-directed violence from an evolutionary psychological perspective. The problem of paternity uncertainty is hypothesized to have selected for the emotion of male sexual jealousy, which in turn motivates men's nonviolent and violent mate-retention behaviors. Study 1 documented a hierarchy of behaviors initiated with men's suspicions of partner infidelity leading to men's engagement in frequent non-violent mate-retention behaviors, ending in men's partner-directed violence. Study 2 documented an interaction between men's personality traits and the context of perceived partner infidelity risk to predict men's perpetration of violence. Finally, Study 3 extended Studies 1 and 2 by building a causal cascade model that captures the hierarchy of adaptive behaviors in order of: (1) men's childhood experiences with their parents' parental effort, (2) men's adaptive life history strategies and behavioral self-regulation, (3) men's perceptions of partner infidelity risk, and (4) men's non-violent mate retention behaviors, conclusively predicting men's perpetration of violence in intimate relationships. / by Farnaz Kaighobadi. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

by Chung Ka Man Amy. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-113). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgment --- p.iii / Abbreviations --- p.iv / Chapter Chapter I --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter II --- Sons and Lovers (1913): The Release --- p.20 / Chapter Chapter III --- The Rainbow (1915): Experiencing the State of Balance --- p.41 / Chapter Chapter IV --- Women in Love (1920): Articulating the Idea of Balance --- p.60 / Chapter Chapter V --- Lady Chatterley´ةs Lover (1929): Towards the Balance --- p.77 / Chapter Chapter VI --- Conclusion --- p.91 / End Notes --- p.102 / Bibliography --- p.108 / Appendix I --- p.114