Lesbian relationships Essay Example

Lesbian relationships Essay Discuss research into understudied relationships, such as gay and lesbian relationships, and mediated (e.g. Internet and txt) relationships  One type of understudied relationship is homosexual relationships. These have been found to be different to heterosexual relationships in certain ways but similar in others by a variety of different research. They may differ in terms of attraction formation, maintenance, or dissolution. As far as attraction is concerned, Davidson found that gay men were likely to look for similar characteristics to those of heterosexual men, and were likely to portray similar characteristics about themselves, such as physical attractiveness and status. Huston Schwartz found that lesbians were in a similar fashion likely to look for characteristics such as a good personality in the partner, both of which are characteristic of male and female attraction according to the sociobiological theory. It may therefore be that attraction in homosexual relationships is very similar to that of heterosexual relationships. Such attraction may lead to the formation of a relationship. This is likely to differ, as with heterosexual relationships the needs of a man and a woman are likely to be different, whereas if two people of the same gender form a relationship, the needs are likely to be similar. This may lead to problems in initiating activity, or may cause competition, a viewpoint supported by Kitzunger Coyle, who found that in the formation of lesbian relationships, it was necessary for one partner to be more assertive than the other in order for dates, intimacy, etc., to be initiated. We will write a custom essay sample on Lesbian relationships specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Lesbian relationships specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Lesbian relationships specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The maintenance of homosexual relationships may differ to some extent to that of heterosexual relationships for similar reasons. Whereas traditionally in heterosexual relationships the man and woman differ in terms of rewards seeked and efforts needed to be put in, in homosexual relationships these may be more similar. Indeed, Huston Schwartz found that cohabiting homosexual men had more sex on average than any other type of cohabiting couple, whereas lesbians had the least. This is reflected by the sociobiological theorys depiction of men as spreading their seed and women as tending and befriending others. As a result, maintenance strategies may differ from homosexual relationships. Huston Schwartz found that in gay male relationships, confrontational conversation was used as a means of sparring for a higher status, whereas in lesbian couples it was avoided as it would pose a risk to intimacy and cooperation. This is however contested by Kollock et al., who found that the more assertive partner in a lesbian relationship would often use aggressive conversational tactics such as interruption. Homosexual and heterosexual couples may also differ in terms of breakdown. An example of this is the finding by Becker that lesbian relationships often break down when one partner falls in love with another woman, and that the breakup is initiated by that partner. However, another study found that infidelity in homosexual relationships does not necessarily cause disagreement between the partners. The above research accentuates the differences between homosexual and heterosexual relationships, but it is much more likely that they are more similar than different. Silverstein argues that this difference arises because homosexual samples are usually derived from gay bars and gay neighbuorhoods, which are characterised by temporary and casual, often sexual, relationships. It is likely that the results therefore paint a negative image of homosexual relationships, and that the sample and findings are unrepresentative of the general homosexual population. Computer-mediated (CM) relationships are another understudied type of relationship. This relatively recent phenomenon may have occurred as a result of the increased popularity of the internet, and is when relationships form or are maintained without the necessity of geographical proximity. According to Hellerstein, heavy users of e-mail were likely to form more relationships online, many of which then continued offline, whereas light users of email formed relationships in other ways. Chenault argues that such relationships may be successful because we seek to read between the lines of text-based speech; that is, small differences such as punctuation, capitalisation and the use of smileys are likely to greatly affect the interpretation of the text. Therefore, we may derive as much socially from CM conversation as from face-to-face covnersation. This argument is supported by Walther, who founded that participants reported perceiving slow replies to email as being more intimate than quick responses. This indicates a degree of reading between the lines. However, other researchers have argued that CM relationships cause a social vacuum which cannot satisfy a persons needs with regard to what can be derived from a relationship. They argue that the deindividuation that occurs by means of CM relationships makes it impossible to know the true personality of the other person in the relationship. However, Young argues that this deindividuation is beneficial for those who have low self-esteem or are too shy to initiate a relationship face-to-face, and may allow them to express their feelings in a more secure way before continuing the relationship.

Blues Clues

Blues Clues WRITING ASSIGNMENT #1 A bad decision I made and now look back upon and regret is that I ran off when I was six and didn ¡Ã‚ ¦t tell my parents where I was going.It had started out with my sister, brother, my best friend and I going to my sister ¡Ã‚ ¦s friends house to play. At the time I was six, so I still had those curious child ideas. My friend Jason and I had grown tired of watching my siblings play and got restless. So why they weren ¡Ã‚ ¦t looking, Jason and I left.Down the road a ways was Raccoon Creek. We had nothing better to do so we headed in that direction. We took a little path that led underneath the Church Street bridge to the water looking for some excitement. Down at the waters edge we met this guy that was fishing and talked to him for a while.US Navy 100423-N-0641S-143 Mara MacDonald demonstr...