Fraught Intimacies

Non/Monogamy in the Public Sphere. 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. News reports on raids of polygamous communities. It seems that non-monogamy is everywhere: in popular culture, in the news, and before the courts. In Fraught Intimacies, Nathan Rambukkana delves into how polygamy, adultery, and polyamory are represented in the public sphere. His 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.