Open marriage, "temporary family" and sologamy: new types of relations of the XXI century

Today, in addition to traditional marriages, there are a huge variety of different options for relationships between people. Together with a psychologist, we understand the main modern trends.

Along with existing traditional values, new trends are emerging, for example, open marriage or sologamy. People are looking for a new, more convenient format of relationships. And if earlier the main option of departure from the norm was cohabitation — this is how the law interprets cohabitation without marriage registration, today there are much more options for relationships.

This type of relationship implies the existence of a union formalized by law, while the absence of joint farming and joint ownership. Such relationships are quite suitable for independent adults who have real estate and financial stability — they do not need to move to someone else's living space or buy a common property, which will then have to be divided through the court in case of divorce.

Guest marriage provides, as a rule, the conclusion of a marriage contract between the parties to determine property and other relations. People who have entered into a guest marriage meet, spend time together, have sex, have children, but do not live together. An important caveat: a guest marriage does not imply cheating or living with someone else at a time when the partners are spending time apart.

An open marriage is a relationship in which the partners do not adhere to monogamy. That is, spouses can have connections on the side and even invite their lovers into the house, while none of them objects to such experiments.

However, such relationships still have disadvantages — very often people make a decision about an open marriage thoughtlessly, and in this case, the outcome of events, most often, is the same — jealousy, scandals and divorce.

Modern people strive for certainty, and the option of a relationship with a certain expiration date is an ideal choice for them. This works as follows: a couple enters into a prenuptial agreement, which specifies the duration of their marriage, for example, five years.

After this period, the spouses analyze the time they have lived together, and if everything suits them, they renegotiate the contract. In fact, this type of relationship is similar to an employment contract with a certain validity period, which suits many modern couples.

In such marriages, the birth of children is allowed, it also implies cohabitation and monogamous relationships. Many partners believe that this marriage gives them the opportunity to take their time and take a balanced approach to the issues of living together.

Patriarchal society provides for a single scenario for the development of relations — the husband earns money, and the wife is engaged in household chores and brings up children (which is rarely the case in modern life).But modern society stands for equal rights and opportunities, and therefore families in which there is no division of responsibilities by gender are gaining popularity. So, in such unions, for example, a man can take parental leave, and a woman can continue to build a career.

The main difference of such a marriage is the complete erasure of gender stereotypes — all household responsibilities are distributed evenly, and each of the spouses has the right to make a choice in favor of their interests.

Singles are people who consciously choose a life outside of marriage. Adherents of this lifestyle may have some negative experience behind their backs, or they may simply remain satisfied with a single life, having complete freedom of choice.

It is important to understand that singles do not abandon the idea of a romantic relationship, they just do not want to turn hobbies into a permanent romance and, moreover, marriage. Such people need personal space and they are as comfortable as possible to live with themselves.

By the way, some singles even advocate marriage with oneself — this type of relationship is called sologamy. People who marry themselves believe that such a union relieves tension and helps to resist expectations and pressure from society.