Five types of modern couples

These are things like the legal and symbolic subordination to the authority of the father/husband, as well as some of the most taken-for-granted functions of marriage – such as role differentiation and socialization based on the heterosexual and exclusive form of sexuality. [...] Threats and opportunities for families The result is the growth of both threats and opportunities for families and couples that are, very often, despite the diversity of modern families, at the core of the contemporary families. [...] Driven by individualistic forces, allowed to pursue his or her own interests and to reject the constraints of social norms, the individual will tend to see himself, first and foremost, as an individual even within the context of a family. [...] Through a shared frame of reference or world-view, the tension between autonomy and constraining routines and rules pertaining to the daily lives of the couples and families seems to work more harmoniously – though never without setbacks. [...] Ultimately, not all of them will preserve the integrity and the quality of the relationship to the same extent when faced with difficulties.