Navigating Love and Relationships in Uncertain Times: Qls of Youth & Family Transitions

In the context of rapid social change, increasing uncertainty and recurring crises, qualitative longitudinal research provides an apt framework for examining how youth and family transitions unfold. This paper contributes to key debates on young people’s relational lives, offering insights into how young adults negotiate personal relationships within partnering processes (i.e., singlehood, dating, cohabitation, engagement, marriage).

The data stems from two waves of a qualitative longitudinal study (QLS) called ULTRAGEN: Becoming an Adult in Times of Ultra-Uncertainty: Intergenerational Theory of ‘Shaky’ Transitions. Specifically, the analysis was done on individual in-depth interviews with young adults (aged 18-35) and their parents (121 interviews in total) conducted in 2021 and 2023.

We explore the interplay of two pillars of young adults’ romantic lives in Poland. On the one hand, we track external pressures, framed as challenges caused by subsequent social crises (e.g., pandemic, war in Ukraine, economic destabilization), which affect thinking about love and possibilities of commitment. On the other hand, we discern shifting social and intergenerational norms as engendering varied views on this realm. The study identifies three key stances: those who seek relational stability/commitment, those who reject it, and those who are ambivalent. The longitudinal approach allows us to track how these stances change over time, revealing how young people’s views shift between the two data collection waves in relation to the aforementioned structural and personal circumstances.

Longitudinal data shows that despite devaluation of traditional pathways towards marriage, love remains a stabilizing force for many young people, offering hope amid widespread uncertainty. Nevertheless, rising structural barriers (e.g., wedding costs) and persistent personal ambivalence about partnering (e.g., contesting traditional family), complicate decisions about long-term relationships. The study illuminates the value of QLS for understanding how uncertainty impacts transitions.