Content area
Full Text
The present study investigated perception of love in young adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two women in which one was having her first love affair and the other one was having her second. After applying grounded theory, three staged theory of love emerged describing how love develops over time, how it is perceived and what different factors are associated with it. The first stage describes the process of falling in love. The second stage explains happiness and its associated factors. It also portrays bias against love and the troubles young adults have to face in family and society. The third stage depicts expectations that the lover would marry and become serious in career so can support a family. This study has implications for parents and counselors.
Keywords: love, perception, young adults, family
Love is a universal phenomenon. Everyone in life experiences love but their attitudes and experiences of love differs radically. It is a strong positive emotion of affection and attachment. It is a feeling of intimacy and care for someone. People in this life seek love. Everyone wants to feel special and to be cared of. When you find a person who really cares for you, is honest, sincere, and gives you happiness then you automatically get attached to that person. The feeling that he or she gives you is special and you don't want it to fade away which in turn keeps people together in a relationship. Different theorists have emphasized the importance of love, e.g., intimacy versus isolation in early adulthood is the sixth stage of Erickson's theory of psychosocial development showing the importance of intimate relationships in one's life (Santrock, 2002). Similarly Maslow has also highlighted love and belongingness as one of the important needs in humans revealing how love is important to survive after biological and safety needs are fulfilled (Maslow, 1943).
Firestone and Catlett (1999) describe love as "those behaviors that enhance emotional well-being, sense of self, and autonomy". Romantic love is a bond or connection between two people that results in trust, intimacy, and interdependence. In Rubin's view (as cited in Cherry, 2009), romantic love is composed of three elements; attachment, care, and intimacy. Attachment includes the need to have care and approval for the...