Entre união e distanciamento: impactos da Pandemia de COVID-19 nos relacionamentos amorosos

Abstract

This thesis investigates the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on romantic relationships in order to sociologically understand how a macrosocial phenomenon can influence domestic life, altering family and conjugal dynamics. The pandemic was a global event of great magnitude that caused structural and systemic transformations worldwide and, at the same time, impacted the microsocial space of intimate relationships. While in some cases it revealed tensions and conflicts, in others it enabled the strengthening of bonds. In this sense, the general objective of the research is to understand to what extent and in what ways the pandemic, with all its social, economic, political, and cultural consequences, altered family configurations and romantic relationships. More specifically, it sought to identify the aspects that most influenced decisions about divorce or, on the other hand, promoted greater union or even the consolidation of relationships. A mixed methodology was adopted, combining the analysis of secondary quantitative data and the collection of primary qualitative data through semi-structured interviews. Initially, professionals who deal with people and couples in the process of divorce or managing conjugal issues, such as family lawyers and couples therapists, were interviewed. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with individuals who were in stable romantic relationships during the pandemic, including nine women and two men, with an average age of 36 years. The theoretical-methodological approach is in line with Comprehensive Sociology. The results indicate that the pandemic acted as a catalyst for pre-existing problems, making fragilities more evident or accentuating issues that were already troubling before this period. Examples include inequalities in the division of domestic tasks and childcare, infidelity, lack of interest in the relationship and emotional support, emotional distancing, and irreconcilable political disagreements. On the other hand, the results also show that, in some cases, the pandemic represented an opportunity to strengthen intimacy and emotional bonding. Elements that permeated the experiences more generally were also identified, impacting all relationships more or less directly and with positive or negative aspects. This includes hyper-coexistence and its numerous consequences, as well as the fear of death, together with the idea of life's fragility, demonstrating the complexity of the phenomenon investigated.