An Emotional Affair

Speaking directly with dozens of married heterosexual men involved in extramarital affairs fleshes out a dirty little secret: it’s not always the sex they seek but the validation. By digging deeper, we learn how threatened masculinity gives rise to tacit expectations of wives’ relational labor.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Contexts
Published
2025-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/15365042251318669
Primary Topic
Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

An Emotional Affair

Alicia M. Walker
Contexts
Marriage and Sexual Relationships
article

An Emotional Affair

Alicia M. Walker
article en

Abstract

Speaking directly with dozens of married heterosexual men involved in extramarital affairs fleshes out a dirty little secret: it’s not always the sex they seek but the validation. By digging deeper, we learn how threatened masculinity gives rise to tacit expectations of wives’ relational labor.

ContextsVol. 24(1)
Openalex Percentile: Top 96%
Marriage and Sexual Relationships
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An Emotional Affair — Alicia M. Walker · Contexts (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS