 This is a study guide for Chapter Six of Sociology for Optimists by Mary Holmes published in 2015, the chapters called Relationships. Please note that these study guides are meant to point out some of the important concepts of interest to introductory students. They are not designed to be thorough or provide an in-depth discussion. Material will be skipped or barely discussed, while other concepts will be given more emphasis than the chapter may have given them. Also note that the purpose of this book is to look at ways in which sociology can provide a basis for optimism. So discussions of pessimism and optimism will be central to this guide. In the past few decades, major changes have occurred in how we think about and do intimate relationships. Of course, probably the biggest change has been shifting gender roles. In the 1960s throughout the U.S. and developed countries, women demanded the right to work away from home, and men had to shift their understanding of familial responsibilities. The legalization of birth control and abortion has allowed women to choose more freely when and if to have children. This has allowed them to pursue work and family in new and different ways. In the 1960s, we also saw changes in how people thought about sex, and opened up boundaries that were previously placed on sexual encounters by either social norms or formally by the law. Cohabitation, sex outside of marriage, recognition of different sexual orientations, and same-sex marriage are some of the ways in which the relationship between consulting adults and the extent to which the state intervened in sexual matters has changed significantly since the 1960s. Currently, gender itself is being challenged to the binary category, marking a major shift in how we perceive the identity of others, with people demanding more say over how they present themselves and their gender identity. Perhaps one of the biggest changes for women has been the ability to live alone, which not only represents financial independence, but also is a way out of abusive or potentially abusive situations. We can demonstrate these changes empirically using both historical analysis of law and demographic changes, but these also have changed the meaning of intimate relationships in everyday life. Cohabitation without the legal ties of marriage has become a way for people to test relationships before they make a commitment, allowing people to lead bad relationships more easily. Legalization of same-sex marriage has opened up legal protections for couples that previously did not have this legal status, and ironically have also enforced more traditional forms of coupling by making it a state-sponsored entity that is monogamous and permanent. Of course, these changes, as in all new experiences, have created some fears. Sociological research can help alleviate some of these fears. When previously disempowered people gain power, there can be misunderstanding and fear. Overall, these fears are more about relearning expectations rather than some inherent problem with empowerment. The empowerment of women has seen many as making intimate relationships more difficult, especially because this has challenged the rules of engagement and intimate encounters. Overall, though, this empowerment has been more good than bad. As the status of women rise, in general, democratic and economic freedom rises. Same-sex relationships have become more acceptable in mainstream developed countries. Ironically, this has had the effect of reinforcing traditional ideas of state license of marriage and primacy of monogamous relationships. While many lament the rise of divorce as a loss of traditional family, sociological studies have indicated that there are some positives to divorce being available more freely. Probably the most important positive effect is making it easier to leave abusive relationships and family situations. There is a wider acceptance of human variations and what is acceptable between consenting adults and honoring how people express their gender identity or not express it. This is the newest of effects of these changes, but early studies of what this means is generally positive and optimistic. While the lived experience of intimacy is an important concern in understanding these new ways of doing relationships, there are some who fear that these changes are going to have profound demographic effects, especially on questions considering intergenerational relationships. For most of human history, high fertility was important to economic growth, both on a familial and a national level. Empowerment of women, among other factors, have led to a reduction in birth rates called fertility rates. Lower fertility has some positive effects on populations. These can be more dramatic in the developing world. When women are freer to pursue economic independence and provide more resources for families without fear of abuse, the entire economy becomes more sustainable. Some fear that lower birth rates will eventually lead to intergenerational problems because there will be less young people to handle the burden of older adults both by families and the larger economy. This doesn't seem to be working out that way, however, as older populations are less dependent than expected. Older folks are living longer, but are healthier and more independent. One of the reasons for less dependency may very well be that people are learning how to live alone and for longer periods of time and are not stigmatized for this type of household. Women especially rarely lived on their own in the past, as they often were seen as the caregivers to others, such as children and older adults. The rise in the number of women living alone has been linked to women being better able to walk away from abusive relationships, choosing careers either in Lua families or as a reason to postpone families. These shifts have had an overall positive effect on the economic well-being of not only women, but also the population at large. So we always ask, where is the optimism? What does sociology have to offer? Sociologists have mapped out social relationships for years, taking into account changes and who is allowed into intimate relationships. They have found that living alone and being lonely are not necessarily related. Sociologists have been studying gender and gender roles for a while now and have some ways of measuring not only of relationships are more egalitarian, but also the positive effects of rising gender equality. Sociologists have been studying marriages and families and following the changes that have been made over the years, demonstrating that the path to happiness is probably varied.