Resources This book is available in Oxford Scholarship Online - view abstracts and keywords at book and chapter level.
Related Categories
|
|
|
The Monogamy Gap
Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating
Eric Anderson
240 pages
|
235x156mm
978-0-19-977792-1
|
Hardback
|
01 March 2012
|
|
|
|
|
- Examines men, monogamy, and cheating through an interdisciplinary framework that takes sociological, psychological, and biological theories into account
- Makes the case for the controversial ideas that cheating is evidence of love and keeps couples together
- Presents new empirical data on the topic
- Offers new theories to explain issues related to monogamy and sexuality
Whether straight or gay, most men start their relationships desiring monogamy. This is rooted in the pervasive notion that monogamy exists as a sign of true love. Yet despite this deeply held cultural ideal, cheating remains rampant. In this accessible book, Eric Anderson investigates why 78% of men he interviewed have cheated despite their desire not to.
Combining 120 interviews with research from the fields of sociology, biology, and psychology, Anderson identifies cheating as a product of wanting emotional passion for one's partner, along with a steadily growing desire for emotionally-detached recreational sex with
others. Anderson coins the term "the monogamy gap" to describe this phenomenon.
Anderson suggests that monogamy is an irrational ideal because it fails to fulfil a lifetime of sexual desires. Cheating therefore becomes the rational response to an irrational situation.
The Monogamy Gap draws on a range of concepts. theories, and disciplines to highlight the biological compulsion of our sexual urges, the social construction of the monogamous ideal, and the devastating chasm that lies between them. Whether single or married, monogamous or open, straight or gay, readers will find The Monogamy Gap to be an enlightening, intellectually compelling, and provocative book.Readership:
The primary audience includes undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of sexuality and gender. The book would be appropriate for courses on relationships, masculinity, gender studies, and marriage and family.
|
|
|
Eric Anderson, Professor, University of Winchester Professor Eric Anderson is an American sociologist at the University of Winchester. He is known for his research on sex, gender, and sport. Anderson is also the author of eight books, many of which document the development of pro-gay attitudes in young, heterosexual men. His work examines how this changing culture enables heterosexual men to show love and affection more openly toward their male peers, and how openly gay male athletes are thriving in sport.
|
|
|
Part 1: Introduction
Chapter 1: Overview of the Research
Chapter 2: Developing a Critique of Monogamy
Chapter 3: About the Study
Part 2: Men, Attraction, and Love
Chapter 4: The Hardening and Softening of Men
Chapter 5: The Science of Sexual Attraction
Chapter 6: The Development of Romantic Relationships
Part 3: Monogamy and its Discontents
Chapter 7: Categorizing Monogamy Types
Chapter 8: Monogamism
Chapter 9: The Monogamy Gap
Chapter 10: Costs of Monogamism
Chapter 11: Jealousy
Chapter 12: Liberation from Monogamous Missionary Sex
Part 4: The Reality of Cheating
Chapter 13: Prevalence of Cheating
Chapter 14: Spontaneous Cheating
Chapter 15: Cheating Out of Love
Chapter 16: Consequences of Cheating
Chapter 17: Counter Currents
Chapter 18: Conclusions
|
|
|
|
The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
|
|
