An autoethnography of sweethearting through the eyes of an inside child
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15362/ijbs.v31i2.645Keywords:
Sweethearting, Family dynamics, Bahamian cultureAbstract
Using autoethnography, I describe sweethearting through the eyes of an adult who would be considered by Bahamian society as an “inside” child; that is a child born to married parents. In recent years, sweethearting has received renewed attention by scholars in The Bahamas. To date, these studies have tended to be quantitative and descriptive in nature. Although the media has published various articles on sweethearting this paper presents a case study of sweethearting from the perspective of an inside child of parents who committed adultery. On reflection it is evident that as a child and an adult I did not seek to confront or understand that my dad had a string of sweethearts while at the same time wanting to maintain a matrimonial home. Overall, my dad nearly always supported the household financially, despite causing my mom great mental anguish as she tried to cope with his continuous infidelity. The fact that he had “outside” children, some of whom, even now, I barely know, has resulted in an extended family which has limited knowledge of itself.
While my experiences are unique, it is also clear that aspects of them are more common that I had thought. So, this paper may allow others to reassess their understanding of infidelity in marriage and deepen their awareness of the outcomes associated with infidelity.
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