Coming Home to Love and Class

Paul Johnson and Steph Lawler

Sociological Research Online, 2005, vol. 10, issue 3, 67-79

Abstract: This article explores how romantic love, desire, and social class are mutually influencing factors in the formation and enactment of heterosexual intimate relationships. Using qualitative interview data from a study of heterosexuality and love we analyse some of the ways in which social class structures love relationships and, furthermore, how such relationships are a site in which class is ‘done’. In particular, we explore a central paradox of the heterosexual love relationship: while heterosexuality relies upon the difference it creates in terms of sex and gender one other form of difference - class difference - is understood to be an obstacle to, if not antithetical to, a ‘successful’ relationship. Indeed, as we will show, this form of difference, for some people at least, is one that must be guarded and defended against.

Keywords: Class; Distinction; Gender; Intimacy; Heterosexuality; Love; Sexuality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socres:v:10:y:2005:i:3:p:67-79

DOI: 10.5153/sro.1116

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