Vol. 13 No. 4 (2026)
World Social Work Day, 2026: ‘Co-Building Hope and Harmony: A Harambee Call to Unite a Divided Society’

Research

Types, Patterns of Romantic Relationships and Dating Delays among Urban Indian Emerging Adults

Published 2026-03-27

  • Pooja
    • ,
  • Shraddha Bhatia

Pooja
Faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak, Haryana, India

Shraddha Bhatia
PhD Scholar, Department of Economics, PPN (PG) College, CSJM University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a subject of interest with changing socio-economic conditions in different sociocultural contexts. The peculiar familial arrangement and open markets in India are so intermingled that young adults’ identities seem to be a confluence of collectivist Indian and liberal Western cultures. This confluence results in the emergence of adult-like tendencies among Indian youth in late adolescence and early adulthood. 

This quantitative study examines the implications of emerging adulthood for the romantic relationships of urban Indian emerging adults. The participants were university students from several Indian states. The total sample size is N=510 (221 males and 289 females), unmarried individuals aged 18-25. The selection criteria include 'no romantic relationship experience' to have had 'one in the past two years of study participation.' The data are collected to study the association between socio-demographic profiles and types of romantic relationships having peculiar patterns. The typification of romantic connection by identifying underlying patterns is the most significant contribution. The study identified two categories of romantic relationship patterns: The First Romantic Relationship and the Last or Latest Romantic Relationship Pattern (whichever coincided with the time of data collection). Overall, the findings shed light on the lives of Indian emerging adults and their preoccupations beyond romantic relationships. The descriptive research design highlights areas for future research to examine the causes and effects of these relationships.

 

 

Keywords

Romantic Relationship, Emerging Adulthood, Late Adolescence, Relationship Pattern, Relationship Type, First Romantic Relationship, Last/Latest Romantic Relationship, Urban India

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Author Biography

Pooja

Ms Pooja holds a PhD in Social Work from the Department of Social Work at the University of Delhi. Currently, she is working as a Regional Coordinator for monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention Target Interventions in collaboration with NACO, TISS, and Aditi Mahavidyalaya. Her research interests include emerging adult identity, welfare administration, public health initiatives, and lived experiences. She has recently contributed to an edited work titled Smart Business and Education in the Age of VUCA and BANI. Her authored book is titled Urban Indian Youth Navigating Adulthood and Romance: A Social Work Perspective. 

Shraddha Bhatia

Ms Shraddha Bhatia is working in public health, with a focus on primary care. Her research interests include health, health expenditure, unmet health needs, and the changing fabric of healthcare in India. In this context, she is currently expanding her work in the economics of Public Health and well-being in Interpersonal Relationships of Youth.

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