What do we really know about what Canadians think of love, sexuality or the distribution of money within the couple? Not much, actually… But thanks to researcher Chiara Piazzesi, that’s about to change.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
The professor from the sociology department at UQAM and her team recently launched a very first pan-Canadian survey on love and intimacy: MACLIC (Mapping Contemporary Love and Intimacy Ideals in Canada – Mapping amorous and intimate ideals in Canada).
The idea was born out of an obvious lack of data, Chiara Piazzesi explains to me: “We talk a lot about love, relationships, commitment, monogamy, but we know very little about what people really think. of these topics! »
Among the questions posed by the team of five researchers, let us note: “Do Canadians still believe in passionate love? Is monogamy still the norm among couples? Are Canadians satisfied with their sexuality? How is the division of domestic and care work organized on a daily basis? »
To answer them, the researchers created an online questionnaire, available in French and English across the country. Chiara Piazzesi hopes for the participation of at least 3000 people… And since I believe in the importance of science, I have decided to be one of them.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Chiara Piazzesi, sociologist and professor at UQAM
So I spent about thirty minutes thinking about the value I place on sexuality, what I think of people who have multiple lovers, the ideal way to manage money within a couple and what I’m willing to do or not do in the name of love.
(Tip, if you’re getting started: do this with a clear head because it still requires a bit of introspection.)
Thanks to the answers collected, the team hopes to establish certain standard profiles.
“For example, we could say that heterosexual women of a certain age who live in urban centers tend to see love, sexuality and marital relations in one way or another,” summarizes Chiara Piazzesi. Then comes the qualitative survey. We will proceed by interviews and dig into each of the profiles to see how the ideas expressed translate into everyday practices. »
The project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, will last five years. Concretely, what will it be used for?
First, to set the record straight, replies Chiara Piazzesi.
There is a discourse in the media that wants intimacy to be in full transformation. We fear commitment more, monogamy crumbles, we even witness, according to some, the end of romantic love, this model that has dominated for nearly two centuries… But is it really true?
“It would be interesting to be able to speak with full knowledge of the facts,” says the researcher. To have data that would allow us to consider that, in the intimate sphere in Canada, this or that is happening. »
A better understanding of what is hidden in our hearts and our beds would have a tangible influence in several spheres. We could, for example, improve approaches to marriage therapy and mediation. Psychosocial and community workers would find themselves better equipped to resolve the pitfalls specific to our time. These data could also shed valuable light on the development of family policies proposed by the various ministries of the country.
“We have the ambition to understand how people think about their daily lives in intimate relationships, specifies Chiara Piazzesi. To understand what their challenges are too! And this is important because any family policy must take into consideration how people receive certain ideas and strategies put forward. »
For my part, I see another usefulness in the survey, and it is not negligible: you can borrow certain passages from the questionnaire to launch solid discussions during your next romantic dinner…
“Sweetheart, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘Comradeship is more important than romantic love for the longevity of a relationship’? »
Obviously, you could also answer the questionnaire to discover yourself or better understand yourself, as a human being who loves, dreams and sometimes desires. After all, isn’t spring a perfect time to look into what makes us blush?
“By the way, Chiara, does spring really incite romance or is the idea that our hormones thaw in April just another unsubstantiated cliche?”
– You should ask neuropsychologists, because I’m not sure! But what I do know is that it’s an oft-repeated idea… So maybe it shapes how we think about moving into this season and how we should behave. »
Would we be momentarily libidinous by simple cultural association? I hope for a possible investigation on the subject.