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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.
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: Counter Currents Chapter 17: Conclusions
Anonymous
Posted March 27, 2012
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Overview
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...