Vol. 5, Issue 1

Hughes, A. (2021). Romance is not dead, it’s changing: A grounded theory inquiry investigating the changing views of monogamy among Canadian adolescents. The Young Researcher, 5(1), 318-331.

Abstract
This study examined the feasibility of monogamy in Canadian adolescents’ romantic relationships by exploring their perceptions of monogamy. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather data: 125 students participated in a survey and 21 students were interviewed. Data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach, and three generalized theories were developed: (1) adolescents highly value monogamy in romantic relationships; (2) although adolescents value monogamy, they believe they are too young to engage in monogamous relationships as it distracts from their priorities such as self-exploration and other life obligations; therefore, adolescents primarily engage in casual romantic relationships as they are not distracting; (3) males and females value monogamy (in general) equally; however, at their current age, females have a stronger preference for casual relationships than males. Since adolescents are more focused on other life priorities than maintaining monogamous relationships, it was concluded that monogamy is not feasible for Canadian adolescents.

Keywords
: monogamy, adolescents, serious relationships, casual relationships, consensual nonmonogamy


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ISSN 2560-9815 (Print)
ISSN 2560-9823 (Online)

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