Friends with benefits? Gendered performances in women's casual sexual relationships

Breanne Fahs; Adrielle Munger

doi:10.1111/pere.12073

Friends with benefits? Gendered performances in women's casual sexual relationships

Breanne Fahs, Adrielle Munger

Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, School of (SHARCS)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although some research has examined "friends with benefits" relationships (FWBRs), women's subjective accounts of FWBRs remains notably understudied. Utilizing attachment theory, scripting theory, and social constructionist theories of gender, this study drew upon qualitative interviews with a community sample of 20 women (mean age = 34, SD = 13.35) from diverse ages, races, and sexual identity backgrounds to illuminate five themes in women's FWBR narratives: (a) regulation and suppression of emotions, (b) performance and idealization of detachment and emotionlessness, (c) lack of clear communication combined with "other-defined" experiences, (d) replication of racist and sexist scripts, and (e) transitional qualities of the relationship. Implications for the power differentials present in FWBRs, and tensions between subverting and further entrenching relationship scripts, are explored.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	188-203
Number of pages	16
Journal	Personal Relationships
Volume	22
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12073
State	Published - Jun 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Anthropology
Life-span and Life-course Studies

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10.1111/pere.12073

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Friends with benefits? Gendered performances in women's casual sexual relationships

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