Kaitlin and her partner Adam have spent a lot of time fighting and avoiding each other recently. Kaitlin is upset about the situation and wants to fix the problem. Adam doesn't seem to have noticed that anything is wrong. Kaitlin takes it upon herself to start a conversation with Adam about their issues. This reflects Kaitlin and Adam's:
A) tension between autonomy and connection.
B) differing ways of showing affection.
C) gendered responsibility for relational health.
D) gendered power dynamics.

Gender stereotypes and power dynamics also affect the way people participate in a relationship, feminist research has showed that intimate relationships between men and women serve as a place to reproduce gender roles.

Commonly, it has been believed that one of the responsibilities that corresponds to a woman is to insure the health of the relationship. Women have also been socialized to be more in touch with their feelings and to speek openly about them, whereas this is seen as a sign of weakness in a man. Gendered responsibility for relational health has negative outcomes for men and for women, if the relationship faills, the woman carries the responsibility for it, and men's emotional health also suffers when he can't recognize or express his feelings.