INTIMACY TRANSFORMED? A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE ‘PURE RELATIONSHIP’

摘要: It has recently been claimed that a particular form of intimacy, 'the pure relationship' is increasingly sought in personal life. For couple, involves opening out to each other, enjoying other's unique qualities and sustaining trust through mutual disclosure. Anthony Giddens (1992) postulates transformation intimacy all relationships with radical consequences for the gender order. Popular discourse supports view heterosexual couples are more equal intimate. However, stories everyday lives told researchers paint very qualified picture. Much life remains structured by inequalities. Gendered struggles gap between cultural ideals structural inequalities result range creative identity relationship- saving strategies. More, perhaps much more, energy goes into sense despite inequality than process transformation. Moreover, rhetoric may point people wrong direction both personally politically. feeds on therapeutic individualises problems down-grades sociological explanations. In practice, multi-dimensional contenders successful equality, acts practical love care have important constant dynamic exploration selves.