Elisabeth Sheff launches "Polyamorists Next Door" website for book

Psychology Today blogs

Sociologist Elisabeth Sheff has a much-awaited book coming out November 16th: The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families. It will present her observations and conclusions from 15 years of studying poly people and families and especially their children.

In preparation, she has started a blog by the same name on the Psychology Today site, "Introducing a form of ethical non-monogamy rapidly gaining popularity in the US." Her first post went up a few days ago:

What Polyamory IS, and What It Is NOT

Polyamory is the practice of maintaining consensual, openly conducted, multiple-partner relationships in which both men and women have negotiated access to additional partners outside of the traditional committed couple. Ironically, it is easier to begin with what polyamory is not, and then explain what it is.

Polyamory is not…

For everyone. It can be a complex and intense relationship style that takes time and devotion to maintain. Many people might prefer the simplicity, security, and exclusivity of monogamy.

Cheating. Because (ideally) everyone is aware of the other partners—the relationships have been negotiated with rules to structure scheduling and safer-sex agreements.

Swinging....

Polygamy....

Polyamory IS a form of nonmonogamy in which women and men establish emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationships with multiple people at the same time. The partners all know about each other, and are often friends or chosen family members (though sometimes they don’t like each other, which can cause problems). While occasionally it translates as group sex, most often poly people interact sexually in pairs and save the group thing for socializing.

...In most groups some members have sex with each other and others do not, though those in platonic relationships can establish enduring emotional relationships I term polyaffective.

...The information in this and the blogs that will follow is based on my 15-year study of people in polyamorous relationships, and poly families with children.

Read the article (Sept. 9, 2013).

The Polyamorists Next Door is being published by Rowman & Littlefield. Academic publishers are notorious for high book prices, with their captive markets of students and university libraries. Amazon's discount is slight. However, notes Sheff on her personal website, you can get a 20% discount by buying from the publisher directly:

If you order directly through Rowman & Littlefield at
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442222953

you can get a 20% discount on The Polyamorists Next Door. Use promotion code 4M14SHEFF at checkout. This promotion is valid until December 31, 2014. This offer excludes eBooks, and cannot be combined with any other promo or discount offers.

Sheff and her media mentions have appeared here many times before.

[Permalink]