Together alone - The Other in a love relationship

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology grade: 10 Uppsala University language: English abstract: Symbolic Interactionists are also referred to as cultural romantics.2 They sympathize withoutsiders and underdogs believe in the contingency of self and society and envision social reality asan ongoing interaction of people which entails change and transformation.3 On the other handSymbolic Interactionism reflects not only a subjective study of human experience but it alsoattempts to evolve an objective (social) science which holds man as a product of society and one'sself as only existing in the definite relationships to other selves.4 This dichotomy appears to befairly interesting when it comes to social phenomena that are assumingly either mainly subjective orobjective. Love tends to be seen as a merely subjective experience of the self. Falling in love withsomebody seems to be possible under the most incredible circumstances not complying to anyrules being mysterious and unpredictable. The beloved other prompts feelings and might getpositioned on a throne for the most inexplicable (personal) reasons. But who is the beloved-otherreally? Why is he or she privileged to ascend the throne? Are the reasons for loving this particularperson barely subjective or might they be rooted in society and hence influenced and induced by anobjective reality? Do we really choose our beloved-other or is he/she chosen by society?