Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Department of Social Sciences Education, Farhangian University
Abstract
The involvement of some families in extramarital relationships has triggered alarm bells regarding one of the deep social issues. There is no doubt about the historical neglect of emotional extramarital relationships by families and the social system. This neglect has also manifested itself differently in studies related to infidelity that have been designed and conducted so far. This study does not consider the consequences of emotional extramarital relationships to be lesser than those of sexual extramarital relationships and finds it to be a precursor to the emergence of other crises, including sexual infidelity. On this foundation, the correlates associated with emotional extramarital relationships have been examined by entering the lived experiences of women and men using phenomenological methods. The research highlights three main themes: the separation of interactions, the other, existential insecurity, and several subcategories, finding the interviewees' feeling of loss to be more reflective of the void of mutual emotional intimacies, the powerlessness in decision-making regarding the choice of an emotional partner, or the absence of an emotional actor in the home space. Therefore, any policymaking aimed at alleviating such issues, without investigating the familial backgrounds of individuals, is considered to be a misinterpretation of the problem. Consequently, due to the lack of limitation and finiteness of the subject, as well as the varied capacities, tendencies, and psychological readiness of individuals, it is recommended to focus on the centrality of consensual interactions as the key theme in sociological research on emotional extramarital relationships.
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