Many have questioned the idea that committed, intimate, love relationships must necessarily be monogamous. Some see monogamy as a patriarchal invention that mainly benefits men and functions as a mechanism of control. In response to these questions and criticisms or, simply as an alternative that better suits their interests and desires, some people practice polygamy or ‘non-monogamy.’ But is non-monogamy necessarily ‘more’ feminist? Is monogamy necessarily contradictory to feminist ideals? Well, it’s not as simple as all that.
In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Meg Barker, a senior lecturer in psychology at the Open University, a sex and relationship therapist, and the author of Rewriting the Rules: An Integrative Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships about some of the reasons people might enter into non-monogamous relationships as well as some of the challenges they might face. Later on the show we hear from Katie, an undergraduate student in her late twenties, who shares her experiences navigating a non-monogamous relationship as a feminist.
