'Odd couples': A study of interpersonal interaction in private and public realms

This study relies on human accounts of coupling behavior. Couples interviewed for this study are marked by a 'visible difference', that is they are intergenerational, interracial, same sex or of disparate height or weight. These differences constitute a breach of cultural normative expectations for coupling, since physical standards about the ways in which couples should be matched in a romantic union have been violated. Couples who conform to these profiles have been characterized as 'odd' throughout this discourse.;The research examines transitions and challenges faced by odd couples in their encounters with outsiders, particularly those encounters where their relationship is perceived as deviant. Generally, individuals or groups enact deviant behavior, but in these cases, the participation of two individuals is a prerequisite of deviance. Without interaction of two parties, deviant behavior does not manifest. In this aspect, the study contributes to studies on deviance.;This study contributes to literature on race, sex, and gender by illuminating how odd couples challenge the competence expected of individuals within these particular categories. For instance, a same sex couple challenges competence to one's gender category by failing to adhere to normative/compulsory heterosexuality. Interracial couples present similar challenges when their choices are perceived as an act of "selling-out". By examining these issues the study develops notions about how we "do coupling", in the same ways as we "do" race, gender, class or difference.;In uncovering the underlying process of "doing couple" the study explores the influence ascribed statuses and socially constructed categories wield over daily interactions, and in the development of love scripts. Through an exploration of these links, the study unveils the conventional understanding regarding coupling behavior.;The study reveals how odd couples modify their behavior and cultural understanding of acceptability to justify or rationalize that their behavior conforms to coupled behavior. This analysis corresponds to interpersonal interaction between the couple and interactions in other social settings. As a result, the study also contributes to our comprehension about intimate relationships and the construction of identity by exemplifying how couples negotiate and assert their coupled identities in the face of public admonition.