Young Women's Anger in Romantic Relationships

147 Pages·2013·1.05 MB·English

by  Ana Lucia

Young Women’s Anger in Romantic Relationships

Ana Lucia Jaramillo Sierra

Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
In
Human Development

Katherine R. Allen
Megan Dolbin-McNab
Mariana Falconier
Christine Kaestle

August 29, 2013
Blacksburg, Virginia

Keywords: women’s anger, romantic relationships, gender, emerging adulthood
Young Women’s Anger in Romantic Relationships
Ana Lucia Jaramillo Sierra

Abstract
The present study investigated how young women “do” and “undo” gender in relation to their
anger in romantic relationships. With this aim, I conducted in-depth interviews with 24 young
women between the ages of 18 and 25. I interviewed participants about the characteristics of
their current romantic relationships and their experiences of anger in this context. I used a
constructivist grounded theory methodology involving open, axial, and theoretical coding to
analyze the data collected through the interviews (Charmaz, 2006). My analysis suggested an
emerging theory of young women’s anger in romantic relationships involving 5 categories, 16
sub-categories, and 4 types. Overall, the findings suggest young women experience
contradictions about their power in romantic relationships and variability across events in how
they “do” and “undo” gender in relation to their anger in romantic relationships. The findings
also confirm that for most young women, their power in romantic relationships is associated with
how women relate to, understand and express their anger. The emerging theory of women’s
anger in romantic relationships provides a tool for further research on anger in the context of
romantic relationships and a set of guidelines for clinicians to assess young women’s anger in
romantic relationships.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi
Dedication ................................................................................................................................... vii
Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................3
Core Concepts ......................................................................................................................3
Overview of the Proposed Study..........................................................................................6
Research Question ................................................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Literature Review ...........................................................................................................8
Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................8
Women and Anger .............................................................................................................10
Anger in Couple Relationships ..........................................................................................17
Anger in Emerging Adulthood ..........................................................................................24
The Gap ..............................................................................................................................26
Chapter 3: Method ........................................................................................................................28
Overview of the Research Design ......................................................................................28
Description of the Sample ..................................................................................................28
Sample Selection Process ...................................................................................................30
Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................................33
Description of Instrumentation ..........................................................................................36
Data Analysis Process ........................................................................................................37
Chapter 4: Findings .......................................................................................................................47
Young Women’s Power in Romantic Relationships ..........................................................47
Women’s Relation to Their Anger in Romantic Relationships .........................................65
Triggers for Women’s Anger in Romantic Relationships..................................................68
Women’s Meaning Making of Their Anger in Romantic Relationships ..........................76
iii
Women’s Anger Expression in Romantic Relationships ..................................................81
Women Undoing, Doing, and Struggling with Gender ....................................................85
Chapter 5: Discussion ...................................................................................................................94
Power: Contradictions and Resistance ...............................................................................94
Anger: Variability within Participants and Non-Gendered Alternatives ...........................97
An Emerging Theory of Young Women’s Anger in Romantic Relationships ................101
Limitations of the Study ..................................................................................................105
Clinical Implications ........................................................................................................106
Future Research Directions .............................................................................................112
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................113
References ....................................................................................................................................114
Appendix A: Recruitment Flyer and Recruitment Email ...........................................................126
Appendix B: Phone Conversation with Potential Participants Protocol .....................................128
Appendix C: Informed Consent ..................................................................................................130
Appendix D: Post-Interview Demographic Questionnaire .........................................................132
Appendix E: Interview Guide .....................................................................................................134
Appendix F: Coding Scheme I ....................................................................................................137
Appendix G: Coding Scheme II ..................................................................................................139
Appendix H: Coding Scheme III ................................................................................................140

iv
List of Tables
Number Page
Table 1: Final Coding Scheme………………………………………………………………….41
Table 2: Emerging Theory of Young Women’s Anger in Romantic Relationships………….....44
Table 3: Sub-categories for Young Women’s Power in Romantic Relationships……………...48

v
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my dissertation chair and advisor, Dr. Katherine R. Allen, for her emotional and
intellectual support and her mentoring through the doctoral program and the planning,
development, and completion of this dissertation. Katherine provided positive feedback and
challenged my ideas to think beyond my limits. Katherine set an example for me on working
through difficult times and giving the best of me at all moments.
I want to thank Dr. Christine Kaestle for her support and inspiration during the development of
this dissertation, especially during her time as my dissertation chair and co-chair. Christine
interested me in development during adolescence and emerging adulthood.
I want to thank Dr. Megan Dolbin-McNab and Dr. Mariana Falconier for their useful feedback in
the development of this dissertation and their suggestions for future publication. Megan and
Mariana cared for me as a person, therapist, and scholar and provided significant help when I
needed it.
I want to thank my parents and my sisters for their support through my doctoral studies.

vi
Dedication
To Mauricio.

vii
Running head: YOUNG WOMEN’S ANGER IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS 1

Chapter 1: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
In the last decade, gender theorists have argued for a greater emphasis on “undoing
gender” through critical feminist scholarship (Deutsh, 2007; Lorber, 2005; Risman, 2004, 2009).
A shift from “doing gender” to “undoing gender” means focusing less on the ways in which
gender is socially constructed and maintained, and focusing more on the processes by which
individuals become less gendered or reflexively adopt alternative gender rules to resist those
naturalized through social institutions and culture (Risman, 2004). Focusing on “undoing
gender” does not deny the predominance of gender as it continues to structure women and men
as different and unequal, but recognizes the accomplishments made by feminist scholars and
activists in creating progress towards greater gender equality (Deutsh, 2007; Risman, 2009).
The present research study fits this feminist interest of “undoing gender.” From a family
therapy perspective, “undoing gender” implies: (a) through research, understanding the processes
by which gender is both constructed and resisted in couple and family relationships, and (b) in
practice, promoting reflections on such gender construction and deconstruction processes in
therapy, supervision, and teaching. In particular, the goal of the present study was to understand
two processes: (a) How does gender influence young women’s anger in romantic relationships?
and (b) How do young women resist and transform gender as they relate to their anger in
romantic relationships?
Studying the ways in which young women experience, express and make meaning of
anger in romantic relationships is relevant from a public health perspective, as women’s
experiences and expressions of anger have implications for women’s physical and emotional
health. Women who suppress or neglect their anger have greater probabilities of developing
Running head: YOUNG WOMEN’S ANGER IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS 2

health problems such as cancer and high blood pressure (Harburg, Julius, Kaciroti, Gleiberman,
& Schork, 2003; Thomas, Groer, Davis, Droppleman, Mozingo, & Pierce, 2000), and
psychological problems such as depression and suicide attempts (Daniel, Goldston, Erkalin,
Franklin, & Mayfield, 2009; Sperberg, & Stabb, 1998). Furthermore, women who suppress or
neglect their anger have greater probabilities of getting involved in indirect aggression toward
intimate partners (Johnson & Leone, 2005).
To date, most studies have examined women’s anger in general terms. Only a few
studies have considered women’s anger in the context of the couple relationship. For example,
Sperberg and Stabb (1998) showed that women’s expression of anger varied according to level
of mutuality in their adult couple relationships (marriages and cohabitating couples). In this
study, women with less mutual couple relationships showed greater anger suppression and
indirect expression of anger. Similarly, Fischer and Evers (2011) found an association between
egalitarianism in couples and women’s expression of anger. In their sample, women in less
egalitarian relationships had greater levels of anger suppression. Although these findings have
been important in establishing a link between power relations in couples and women’s anger,
more research is needed in order to strengthen the evidence on the association of these factors.
Furthermore, studies of women’s anger in the developmental context of emerging
adulthood are uncommon. Studies have either focused on girls’ anger in adolescence (for
example, Brown, 1998) or have used heterogeneous adult samples (for example, Sperberg &
Stabb, 1998) where issues of development cannot be considered. However, the study of
women’s anger in couple relationships is especially significant in the stage of emerging
adulthood. Considering emerging adulthood is a formative stage where relationship explorations
become more serious, deep, and intimate in preparation for adult committed couple relationships
Running head: YOUNG WOMEN’S ANGER IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS 3

and family life (Arnett, 2004; Tanner, 2006), there are important opportunities to intervene in
transforming processes related to the couple, and to the self.
Purpose of the Study
The present study expands previous knowledge on women’s anger by examining the
specifics of women’s anger in the relational context of the couple and the developmental context
of emerging adulthood. The findings of this study provide an additional understanding of how
women’s anger in romantic relationship are both influenced by gender, and how women resist
and transform gender as they relate to anger in their romantic relationships. As a result, these
findings can help couple and family therapists, and other professionals working with young
couples, in promoting both an inter- and intra-personal space where women can become aware of
how social constructions of gender limit their anger in romantic relationships. Through these
reflections, therapists can mobilize alternative ways young women can relate to their anger. At
the same time, understanding how young women resist and transform gender through their own
ways of expressing, experiencing and meaning-making of anger can help therapists identify,
strengthen, and reinforce these alternatives.
Core Concepts
In the following pages I introduce the definition of the core concepts used in this study:
anger, gender, and romantic relationship. I provide a definition of each core concept and clarify
which theoretical framework or author the definition comes from.
Anger
I used a psychological definition of anger as an emotion associated with specific
physiological experiences, cognitions, and behavioral expressions. According to this definition
anger experience is associated with (a) “increased blood pressure, total peripheral resistance, and