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Rituals in Unmarried Couple Relationships: An Exploratory Study
Author(s) -
Campbell Kelly,
Silva Luciana C.,
Wright David W.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
family and consumer sciences research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 1077-727X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-3934.2011.02087.x
Subject(s) - typology , psychology , social psychology , exploratory research , developmental psychology , sociology , anthropology
This study provides an understanding of rituals enacted in unmarried couple relationships. One hundred and twenty‐nine individuals involved in unmarried relationships reported on their rituals in an online, open‐ended questionnaire. A typology of 16 ritual types was developed. Twelve of the rituals have been shown to be common in marital relationships. Four new ritual categories, unique to unmarried relationships, emerged from the data. The new categories were gift‐giving, helping each other/being supportive, future planning/daydreaming about the future, and family involvement. Implications for future research on couple rituals are suggested.