A Feminist Phenomenological Exploration of Silenced Voices and Hidden Desires Among Young Adults in Dating Relationships

Praveena K V, PhD student

This research study delves into the experiences of young adults in dating relationships in Kerala, India. Using a feminist phenomenological approach, it explores how various factors such as gender, religion, caste, and social norms silence their desires and voices. While dating has become increasingly common among youth, traditional gender norms and societal expectations continue to shape the ways individuals experience and express intimacy, desire, and autonomy. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) with young adults and practitioners (including clinical psychologists and psychiatric social workers), this research seeks to understand how gender influences the lived experiences of dating, with a particular focus on the subtle ways in which desires are concealed, and voices are suppressed. The findings offer significant insights into the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, and power in dating relationships. They shed light on how young adults navigate, resist, or challenge traditional gender norms and religious control within the realm of dating relationships.

Keywords: Gender Dynamics, Qualitative data/methods/approaches, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

See extended abstract.