Fraught Intimacies

A stimulating and sophisticated argument for why we need to reconsider how we talk – and think – about non-monogamy and its place in society.

Drawing on media, popular culture, and recent court cases, this book examines how various forms of non-monogamy (polygamy, adultery, and polyamory) are represented in the public sphere, how some forms of non-monogamy are tolerated and others vilified, and the effects such privileging is having on intimate relationships and other aspects of contemporary Western society.

Adultery scandals involving politicians. Dating websites for married women and men. Raids of polygamous communities. Reality shows about polyamorists. It seems that non-monogamy is everywhere: in popular culture, in the news, and before the courts.

In Fraught Intimacies, Nathan Rambukkana examines how polygamy, adultery, and polyamory are represented in the public sphere and the effect this is having on intimate relationships and aspects of contemporary Western society.

As this book demonstrates, although monogamy is considered and presented as the norm in Western society, many kinds of sexual and romantic relationships exist within its borders. Rambukkana’s intricate analysis reveals how some forms of non-monogamy are tacitly accepted, even glamourized, while others are vilified and reviled. By questioning what this says about intimacy, power, and privilege, this book offers an innovative framework for understanding the status of non-monogamy in Western society.