ABSTRACT
In the past decade, researchers have recognized that romantic and sexual relationships are central to the lives of teenagers and emerging adults (e.g., Brown, Feiring, & Furman, 1999; Collins & van Dulmen, this volume; Furman & Wehner, 1994; Giordano, Manning, & Longmore, this volume). In some respects, the romantic experiences of youth are similar to those in non-romantic relationships and are no different from the experiences of older adults (Brown et al., 1999; Giordano et al., this volume; Manlove, Franzetta, Ryan, & Moore, this volume; Schwartz, this volume). However, the romantic relationships that emerge during adolescence have distinctive characteristics that make them important to study on their own. The development and maintenance of romantic relationships is a key developmental task during adolescence and the transition to adulthood (Masten et al., 1995; Snyder, this volume). Therefore, it is necessary to understand the uniqueness and continuity of early romantic relationships and explore ways to help young people negotiate the twists and turns of romance in healthy ways. The chapters in this volume move toward these goals. Although various topics related to romance and sex are addressed, three themes are prevalent: the need to study romantic relationships within a developmental framework; the importance of the relational context of romance; and the existence of romantic relationships in broader social, cultural and historical contexts. In addition, we discuss methodological issues that arose in the discussions found in these chapters, and offer insights into future research in this area of study.
