The discussion about contemporary marriage involves several issues. The institutional relevance of marriage is emphasized, along with the role it plays for individuals as an instrument of nomic construction. It is described how the contemporary couple is confronted with two paradoxical forces, that is, by the tensions between individuality and conjugality. The manifestation of alliance and sexuality in contemporary marriage and remarriage is also approached. The issue of conjugal separation and its consequences for the couple and the family is discussed. Characteristics and functional interaction possibilities of the second marriage are tacked as well. The importance of the conjugal relationship for the emotional development of children is stressed. And, finally, we highlight that the commitment of couple therapy is not with the maintenance or rupture of the marriage, but with the emotional health of the members of the couple and the family.
Marriage; individuality; conjugality; separation; couple therapy