Forbidden Intimacies - Polygamies at the Limits of Western Tolerance (Hardcover)

A poignant account of everyday polygamy and what its regulation reveals about who is viewed as an "Other" In the past thirty years, polygamy has become a flashpoint of conflict as Western governments attempt to regulate certain cultural and religious practices that challenge seemingly central principles of family and justice. In Forbidden Intimacies, Melanie Heath comparatively investigates the regulation of polygamy in the United States, Canada, France, and Mayotte. Drawing on a wealth of ethnographic and archival sources, Heath uncovers the ways in which intimacies framed as "other" and "offensive" serve to define the very limits of Western tolerance. These regulation efforts, counterintuitively, allow the flourishing of polygamies on the ground. The case studies illustrate a continuum of justice, in which some groups, like white fundamentalist Mormons in the U.S., organize to fight against the prohibition of their families' existence, whereas African migrants in France face racialized discrimination in addition to rigid migration policies. The matrix of legal and social contexts, informed by gender, race, sexuality, and class, shapes the everyday experiences of these relationships. Heath uses the term "labyrinthine love" to conceptualize the complex ways individuals negotiate different kinds of relationships, ranging from romantic to coercive. What unites these families is the secrecy in which they must operate. As government intervention erodes their abilities to secure housing, welfare, work, and even protection from abuse, Heath exposes the huge variety of intimacies, and the power they hold to challenge heteronormative, Western ideals of love.

General

Imprint:	Stanford University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Globalization in Everyday Life
Release date:	2023
First published:	2023
Authors:	Melanie Heath
Dimensions:	229 x 152mm (L x W)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth
Pages:	292
ISBN-13:	978-1-5036-2760-4
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Gender studies > General Books > Law > English law > Private, property, family > Gender law Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > Family & relationships > General Promotions
LSN:	1-5036-2760-8
Barcode:	9781503627604

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!