Radical Intimacy
Exploring new connections beyond capitalist constraints
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pluto Press
Published:20th Mar '23
Should be back in stock very soon
This insightful work explores alternative relationships and critiques capitalist norms. Radical Intimacy encourages readers to envision a more inclusive and compassionate approach to connection.
In Radical Intimacy, Sophie K Rosa engages readers in a thought-provoking exploration of alternative ways to forge relationships while resisting the constraints of capitalism. The book challenges the dominant narrative that dictates how we should connect with one another, arguing that capitalist ideology promotes a narrow definition of intimacy based on productivity and traditional family structures. Instead of relying on a single romantic partner for emotional fulfillment, Rosa encourages us to rethink our connections and consider a broader spectrum of relationships that can nourish and empower us.
The author delves into the societal pressures that leave many feeling isolated and disillusioned, revealing how the pursuit of conventional goals—such as homeownership and starting a family—often leads to exhaustion and disempowerment. Radical Intimacy serves as a clarion call for a new generation, urging us to harness our radical imagination to envision a more inclusive and compassionate approach to intimacy. Through inspiring ideas and practical suggestions, Rosa invites readers to explore the possibilities of diverse relationships that transcend the limitations imposed by capitalism.
Additionally, the book critiques the wellness industry, which often overlooks the intersection of poverty, mental health crises, and systemic violence. By addressing complex topics such as love, sex, aging, and the future of familial structures, Radical Intimacy offers a refreshing perspective that encourages us to cultivate deeper connections in a world that often feels callous and disconnected.
‘This was my most eagerly awaited book of the year and it does not disappoint. A powerful, utterly engaging read and a vital call to action. Sophie K Rosa analyses how current conditions restrict our capacity for caring relationships with ourselves and others, and how these conditions can be implicated in so many forms of intimate violence, injustice and loss. A must read’
-- Meg-John Barker, author of 'Rewriting the Rules'‘Proposes radical answers for people longing for real intimacy, just as she proposes the need to centre all forms of intimacy as radical praxis. We are invited to look for the possibilities of abundant post-capitalist relating, and how they might nurture us in overcoming the systems which trap us in scarcity. It’s great. Please read it!’
-- Justin Hancock, Sex and relationships educator‘A clarion voice from a new generation of British feminists accessibly expanding family-abolitionist thought and praxis into new spheres in response to a swingeing care crisis ... I was gripped’
-- Sophie Lewis, author of 'Abolish The Family'‘Explores Black and Indigenous feminist and queer revolutionary approaches to relating helps unshackle the mind from capitalist and colonial kinship, friendship, and romance. In order to change the world, one must first change the story of the world that is possible’
-- Kim TallBear, professor at University of Alberta, Canada‘Made me reconsider so many of the cultural scripts I've been fed my whole life. Unsparing, important and hopeful’
-- Annie Lord, Vogue columnist and author of 'Notes on Heartbreak'‘Sophie K. Rosa challenges us to rethink, reimagine, resist and redefine intimacy according to our own standards instead of those force-fed to us via the white supremacist capitalist cisheteropatriarchy. Consider this the next read in your study group.’
-- ‘Ms. Magazine’‘Radical Intimacy scrutinises the reality of love and intimacy ... it also paints a moving alternative of what a different reality can offer. The call to action is strong; she is asking, with compassion and conviction, for collective liberation and for a revolution’
-- ‘Mashable’‘In a world wracked by successive economic and social crises, Sophie K Rosa offers us an alternative; she demands we imagine and create a better world through love … Radical Intimacy is an introduction to a utopian worldview that has compassion at its heart’
-- Adele Walton, ‘DAZED’‘Implores us to transcend our unfair social structures to instead compassionately reconnect with one another'
-- Katie Goh, ‘i-D’‘Sophie K Rosa's polemic interrogates what it means to love and make connections under capitalism’
-- ‘Red Pepper’‘Rosa's groundbreaking manifesto invites us into a politically emancipatory conceptualisation of intimacy beyond capitalism and heteronormativity’
-- ‘The Skinny’‘A punchy and impassioned account of inspiring ideas about alternative ways to live … Radical Intimacy is the compassionate antidote to a callous society’
-- ‘The Spill’‘Excellent ... Instead of resigning ourselves to a lonely life in a New Gilded Age, Radical Intimacy points towards the long and difficult path to a kinder, better future’
-- ‘Los Angeles Review of Books’'I can’t recommend enough Sophie K. Rosa’s Radical Intimacy and its powerful meditations on fostering love and community amid the innately exploitative backdrop of capitalism'
-- Kylie Cheung, ‘JezebeISBN: 9780745345161
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 210g
208 pages