Modern Lovers.

In society today, it is difficult to find two people who are genuinely in love. Several reasons may cause this occurrence. Perhaps the most common reason for this is the fact that many people rush into relationships at a very young age. These individuals may have ventured into the romantic world due to peer pressure. For others, it is an experimental activity. As a result, one person in the relationship ends up hurt because they believed that what they had going on was real and would last for a lifetime. As the real world comes into play, they end up hurt. (Edemariam, 2020). These heart-breaking experiences drive them to seek revenge, and they end up hurting another person, and it begins a cycle of unhappy relationships (Lippert, 2020). Eventually, society remains with individuals dating for the thrill of the prospect of a relationship without putting much thought into the future of their relationship.

Also, money has proven to be an essential commodity in the world today. Money is no longer just a means of exchange; instead, it has become a determinant of people’s happiness and well-being (Taneja, 2012).  With this in mind, several individuals get into relationships for the sake of money, in search of financial security (Edemariam, 2020). They date wealthy individuals who would provide them with everything that they desire. Therefore, the moment that cash lacks in the relationship, they would not think twice about leaving the person and finding another with lots of money. The older people in society are no exception. The number of divorce cases has been on the rise as the years go by, rising from 2.6 cases for every 1000 people in 1970 to 5.5 in 2008 (Depaulo, 2019). They rush into marriage and fail to attain the happiness they hoped the money would provide. Many people who get married at an early age are more likely to file for divorce. These divorce cases come after incidences of unfaithfulness from one or both partners (Edemariam, 2020). The contention, therefore, is that, although a few people are genuinely in love, most of the people in the world do not understand the meaning of true love. Their relationships are based on material substances that, if removed, result in the ending of the relationship. Even if the material elements subsist, the relationship remains devoid of happiness and love.

Despite all these factors, one thing remains constant throughout the different experiences: the fact that modern-day relationships are based on free will rather than imposition by parents or other third parties (Lee, 2013). As a result, people choose their partners, and in case that does not work out, they can always leave the relationship and find a new partner.

Representation by Cultural Texts

In Ancient Chinese culture, there is a period called the Late Empire, which dates back to approximately ten centuries ago. During this period, sexual relations between partners did not have a foundation of love (Karandashev, 2015). The Neo-Confucianists ascendancy to power resulted in forced unions between spouses. Their main task was to reproduce and, therefore, it did not matter whether they were sexually attracted to each other or not. The regime destroyed any material that promoted sexual desires among individuals, including erotic art and literature (Karandashev, 2015). The system allowed husbands to have several sexual partners, including concubines. On the other hand, the wives could only have one sexual partner because their primary role was to give birth to the man’s children.

Due to these harsh conditions, many women viewed their bends as places of bondage from which they longed to be freed (Karandashev, 2015). As a result, romantic love was almost nonexistent in this era of terror, especially for young women. They knew that someday they would enter into an arranged union with a man they had no feelings for. Relationships during this period lasted for most of their entirety because the spouses did not have the option of leaving the marriage (Karandashev, 2015).

However, technological advances enhanced the globalization of activities, and China gained exposure to the outside world. Consequently, the topic of love and sexuality became open to debate. The younger generation, therefore, adopted a liberal attitude towards the subject and no longer engaged in forced unions. This change in mindset led to more open relationships where people were free to choose their partners.

Conclusion

After reading the cultural text, one can gain more insight into why many relationships in modern society do not last as long as those in ancient. The piece supports the observation that many relationships start when the two individuals choose to engage in romantic activities. However, society has played a role in shaping different perceptions on the subject for different genders. Men learn to separate love from sexual desires, while women create a link between the two. It is these different perspectives that result in many unhappy relationships in the world today.

Reference

DePaulo, B. (2019). Divorce Rates around the World: A Love Story. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201902/divorce-rates-around-the-world-love-story

Edemariam, A. (2020). Divorced by 30: why do so many young marriages come to an early end?. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/19/-sp-why-do-so-many-young-marriages-come-to-an-early-end

Karandashev, V. (2015). A cultural perspective on romantic love. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 5(4), 2. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/orpc/vol5/iss4/2/

Lee, J. (2013). Modern Lessons From Arranged Marriages. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/fashion/weddings/parental-involvement-can-help-in-choosing-marriage-partners-experts-say.html

Lippert, K. (2020). Stop The Heartbreak Cycle: 7 Dos & Don’ts For Handling a Breakup. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from https://tinybuddha.com/blog/stop-heartbreak-cycle-7-dos-donts-handling-break-up/

Taneja, R. M. (2012). Money attitude-an abridgment. Researchers World, 3(3), 94. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rimple_Taneja/publication/234083664_MONEY_ATTITUDE_-_AN_ABRIDGEMENT/links/55abc21708ae815a042a5fd2.pdf