Dreaming of Compassion: Technology, Polyamory, and Social Justice - PAC2011

At the 8th Annual Public Anthropology Conference, maymay proposes that compassion and social justice become the blueprint for a new American Dream. Weaving together disparate threads from history, technology, economics, and social change ideologies, he argues that non-monogamous culture is a critical component of a social infrastructure composed of a "literal social network of compassion-moving devices," or people who care about each other, their fellow living creatures, and the environment we all live in.

SESSION TITLE:
Polyamory, Monogamy, Activism & Social Change: Paradigms of Power & Praxis in Everyday Intimacy

SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Monogamy and the "traditional family" are "under attack," as the expansion of "marriage rights" brings polygamy and polyamory more into the public eye. But is something amiss with the very idea of "extending rights?" What is the relationship between "policy" and "culture?" How do our social imaginaries of romance, intimacy, kinship, and selfhood relate to the state, capitalism, and "the public sphere?" Should a radical praxis of "relating differently" be a part of engagement with social change? This panel explores the nexus of power and agency in the practice of everyday human relationships: love-ownership and jealousy; hegemonic monogamy and family law; performance of patriarchy, gender, race, and class dynamics in dating and sexuality; and the fetishization of intimacy as a scarce commodity.

TRANSCRIPT AND DOWNLOADABLE PRESENTATION SLIDES: http://maybemaimed.com/2011/10/16/dreaming-of-compassion-technology-polyamory...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Social Justice
• Technology
• PAC2011
• Anthropology
• Sexuality
• Polyamory
• Non-monogamy

[pennclick]

The rate of change, of EVERYTHING, is accelerating, no doubt. Humanity must be prepared to deal this acceleration and the changes. This is an important start. I got a glimpse of the shape of things to come.

[maymaym]

@pennclick Speaking of the rate of change, have you watched the movie "Transcendent Man"? If not, do a Google search for it and watch it because it talks a lot about that issue and is really well done. I think it's not Netflix Streaming, too. :)

[gregoryjacksonhaley]

Thank you. I would love to listen to more of your thoughts. :'-)

[humanggnomeproject1]

From a sociological perspective, it seems likely to me that conscientious polyamory, i.e. (not just one-standing or non-conscientious forms of "swinging") are likely to see a real and easily quantifiable statistical increase in the global population. It presents not only a relationship model preference, but a lifestyle, and it also inherently proposes an evolving dialog for discussing intimacy,as well the development of new approaches to interpersonal communication styles and psychology. Thanks!

[humanggnomeproject1]

I feel like it is crucial to underscore the potential of polyamory to genuinely create a more equal, and empathic society. I do not think this thought provoking presentation necessarily presents a new American dream, but an interesting look at the evolution of the American dream, by the conscientious implementation of this potentially very uplifting and humanistic relationship model, polyamory, which I resonate with personally. I don't thing monogamy has to suggest scarcity, just not only model.