Political contributions of feminist analysis of romantic love to the behavioranalytic discussion of feelings

Abstract

Behavior Analysis explains feelings from a contextual perspective. However, this theory still fails to systematically explore the influence of gender political variables on the con­stitution of feelings, something accomplished by feminism throughout its critic of romantic love. This study aims to provide a political perspective on the Behavior Analysis discussion of feelings, considering the feminist analysis of romantic love. Bibliographic research was car­ried out, having theme-oriented feminist papers as a source. Sixteen articles were selected for the literature review. Data examination and categorization emphasized: the description of the patriarchal culture that produces romantic love; the role of institutions in the transmission and maintenance of romantic love; the effects of romantic love on the constitution of gender and gender identity for men and women; and the obfuscation of oppressive contingencies by the practices of romantic love. The existence of power disparities between genders regarding ro­mantic relationships showcases the importance of a political discussion of feelings in Behavior Analysis, without which functional analysis may lead to practices that maintain oppressive systems in society intact.