Infidelity in romantic relationships: a study on patriarchy and masculinity

One of the most significant factors influencing how people behave in the private sphere is their gender roles. In all aspects of romantic relationships, patriarchal ideology is effective. The masculine-feminine dichotomy feeds experiences such as what men and women might expect from their partners, how romantic relationships should be lived, and feelings of jealousy and infidelity. According to gender norms, men are expected to cheat, while women are expected to forgive men who have cheated on them. However, if the cheating partner is a woman, it is considered a threat to masculine dominance, and acts of violence occur. The taboos of honor and sexuality play a significant role in this process, which leads men to violence and even murder. The aim of this thesis is to examine men's experiences of cheating and being cheated in the context of masculinity. The study also focuses on revealing men's perspectives on sexuality, romantic relationships, and the concept of honor. For this purpose, a semi-structured interview form was prepared, and interviews were conducted with ten men. A qualitative method and phenomenological design were adopted in this study. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Since it focuses on the experiences of the participants and their meaning-making processes, the understanding approach was preferred. The study revealed that males classified their partners into two categories—"to marry" and "to have fun"—and that romantic relationships were experienced in accordance with these categories. Men's behaviors to experiences of cheating and being cheated, their roles in romantic relationships, and their expectations in terms of sexual behavior are all impacted by this categorization of partners. In this context, it is understood that a tiny lie of the 'to marry' partner causes bigger reactions than the cheating of the 'to have fun' partner. Therefore, men's experiences of being cheated are influenced by the categorization of their romantic partners. Developing strategies such as not personalizing the infidelity, refraining from acting in ways that were dictated by ideas like masculinity and honor, and finding psychological support can provide a perspective for men to cope with cheating behavior.